The Rapture Chronicles: Tartarus
by Boyfromvalley
Summary: An Alpha Series is sent on a mission to a place hidden and long forgotten by Rapture. What awaits there will prove more dangerous than any Splicer or Big Daddy itself. Rated M for violence.
1. Chapter 1

**This was originally something I thought up for my _Big Brother's Promise_ story but decided to instead make it a separate one; though it dose take place in the same reality it focuses instead**

**on another individual character. This is a short story that will only be a few chapters long which I will write while still working on my first one.**

**Although it may share some similarities to _Minerva's Den, _the location and its purpose in Rapture is originally my idea. As I said this was originally meant to occur in my first story with the Thomas/The Big Brother travelling to it.**

**Arrival**

He followed the railway tracks that ran through the tunnel of the rocky hills at Rapture's doorstep. The only railway line ever built after the Atlantic Express was scrapped in favour of the Bathysphere service. His destination lay on the other side, its very existence hidden from the city as the whole mountain it stood behind obscured its grand sight

What lay there wasn't built out of secrecy so only a few privileged could indulge in the luxurious recreation or group activities it offered; but simply because the ground Rapture was built on no longer offered adequate space for further expansion as the whole city was surrounded by the huge walls of rock that encircled it.

For that Ryan sought to extend Raptures grasp on the pockets of sea bed within the vast mountain expanse. The nearest lay just over the rock wall of Raptures east side where it was built and where he was headed. He could then see light up ahead and realised he was close to reaching his destination. Picking up the pace he headed straight for the tunnel exit.

Once he exited the tunnel he found himself standing on the ocean sea bed with the sand beneath his feet, he examined his surroundings and found that the whole area was indeed surrounded by steep rock walls that offered no way out other than the way he had came.

The vast space that he stood on was only one fifth of what Rapture was built on. But it was sufficient enough to allow construction regardless of being isolated from the rest of the city. Yet it and only it stood within the centre as the untimely war that tore Rapture apart prevented anything further to be built.

Say for the three incomplete structures that had yet to have any rooms or floors air sealed and the the waters pumped clean out. A few inactive cranes and abandoned work shelters lay next to them but none of them interested him. Only it did as he pressed on towards it, still following the express line that led straight for it.

It was unlike any of the towering buildings that defined Raptures awe-inspiring sight. Not tall and towering with spires. But was instead a wide spread structure with a hexagon like base layout, giving it six sides instead of the common four of all the other buildings. The building was at least twenty five floors high with a window on each floor.

Statues of athletes of all kind stood on the edge of its flat roof as well as around the entrances of both the bathysphere entry port and the express station. Deco style carvings ran all along the building to further its tremendous appearance.

But the thing that really made it stand out to all the rest was what was built on top of it. Stationed within the centre of the roof, its diameter was only three-fifths of what it stood on, yet it was taller than it and had carved detailing just as impressive as the thing that inspired its creation. And not just its shape and form but its name which was spelled out in huge green neon words; The Rapture Collasium.

It was true, a huge colesiom built on top of a wide spread building, its purpose to serve as a new more grand area for major league sporting events. In fact the whole ocean floor within the stone wall encirclement was commissioned to be turned in to a leisure and sporting recreational spot. Nothing but resorts with golf courses, football fields and racing tracks. As well as casinos, theatres, and the brothels of such was to be built.

Never mind that the whole place could be used instead to build better homes for the lower class or to create new agricultural farms to increase production of food. No, the big businesses and corporations had dibs on this place and they would use it anyway they could to improve their financial gain.

But alas it was never to be, only the collesium was ever completed while the rest lay incomplete and exposed to the ocean water. But none of that interested him, only it did as he approached the air lock. Still an amazing sight it was to behold, The Rapture Collesium. And yet unbeknown to him it was known by another name.

A name that best described its new purpose, known only by those who knew of its existence at the time. Had he known it himself and the meaning of that name he would have been more cautious as he then walked up to the airlock. A name that would have hinted the horrors and dangers that awaited him inside; _Tartarus_.

As the airlock door opened, he stepped inside. And subject Lambda of the Alpha Series entered Tartarus bulding. As he did a strange wailing could be heard over his radio as someone attempted to make contact "Hello... hello, oh thank goodness you've arrived."


	2. Chapter 2

**Cold Welcome**

As he made his way in through the airlock he was suddenly sprayed by various hoses that seemed to serve the purpose of decontaminating him as he then headed for the main lobby, the voice over the radio continued to irritate him with its praise and gratitude while never bothering to explain the situation or why he had been sent sent here.

"I have to say again how grateful I am of you coming here, I was sure I would forever be condemned to remain trapped within this forsaken place," the timid voice bragged.

"Get to the point please!" was all Lambda could think as he lacked the means to respond vocally. He had walked all the way from the city, through the mountain following the railway line to this place which existed in secrecy to everyone, say for those who had sent him here.

"I must say I was relieved when my contacts back at Rapture informed me of your coming here to rescue me. They said that I had gotten in over my head coming here to this place all by myself."

"And who exactly are _they_ I may ask, if I could that is?" Lambda thought again.

"Forgive me," the voice spoke again as Lambda arrived in the main lobby of the Colosseum "I believe I should introduce myself."

"That be a good idea," Lambda thought with sarcasm.

"My name is Alfred Bernstein, I was the head of Bernstein Furnitures. We supplied luxuries and top quality furniture to the higher classes as well as such places as Kashmir Restaurant and Adonis Resort."

"In other words you were part of the upper class of Rapture," Lambda concluded.

"I was well associated with Raptures top citizens; particularly Andrew Ryan who was also once a colleague and friend," Alfred continued.

"Figures."

"But I suppose your wondering why it is that someone like me would be here, trapped in this place and requiring your assistance."

"Not really," Lambda thought "But then again someone has sent here and I for one would like to know why exactly?"

"It... It has to do with my family, you see I had a wonderful wife, two fine young boys, and one sweet little girl."

"So you had the dream family, big deal" Lambda remarked to himself.

"And then one day I came home to find that they had... they had all been; murdered. Butchered by an animal!"

"Okay..." Lambda thought as he stopped and decided to ease off on the criticism, even though Alfred couldn't hear him "I'm getting the idea."

"All of them had been brutally slain, my wife bludgeoned after being beaten by the very poker that stoked our fireplace. My two boys died of blood trauma after multiple stab wounds. And my little girl...

She suffered the worst as the monster that did this stole her innocence before smashing her skull against the wall."

Lambda still standing where he had stopped in the lobby couldn't help but feel some sort of sympathy; though one would wonder how a Big Daddy was capable. Alfred meanwhile continued.

"The animal that did it escaped Justice and fled here; an irredeemable piece of filth called..." the radio was suddenly cut off as interference was being run to jam their connection.

A large monitor screen that was built in to one of the lobby walls suddenly came to life and a black and white image of a man appeared. He was dressed in a suit and sat in a large office arm chair, the dim lighting in his office made it impossible for Lambda to see his face but the one thing that was noticeable were the three gold rings and gold wrist watch he wore on his right hand.

He prattled his his right fingers on the chairs right arm rest as he sized Lambda up before speaking in a calm but overly smug raspy voice.

"Well now, what do we have here, a new contender for the Colosseum ring, or...?" he began to laugh as another theory amused him greatly "Oh don't tell me your here for that weakling Bernstein, oh good lord. Usually knights in shining armour only rescue princesses who are imprisoned in towers or cells.

But then again is Bernstein really a man or a woman?" the man ridiculed with the same smugness.

Lambda stared at the man with the thoughts "Who the hell are you anyway?"

Sadly the man did not give him his answer but would instead inform him further of the true nature the Colosseum "I wonder though if you are aware of the nature of this place and why it is called Tartarus?"

"No and I don't really," Lambda responded in his head.

"I guess I'll take the time to explain, nothing wrong with enlightening the small minded. You see in Greek Mythology beneath the world there was the Kingdom of Hades or as it was also know the underworld. A place where the soles of the dead would spend eternity. Quite a miserable place it was said to be, however even beneath that was a place far worse.

A pit of fire and damnation which was where not only the old gods of Olympus; the Titans were imprisoned but the soles of the damned as well."

"Interesting but that doesn't explain much," Lambda thought as the man explained further while still rattling his fingers with the three gold.

"Tell me Alpha Series, do you know anything of all those other Big Daddy models and prototypes that came before and after the production of your model. The ones that became just as obsolete as you did when the Bouncer was first created to finally replace you?"

"Nothing really but I got a feeling I'm gonna find out."

"Ryan at first ordered that they be disposed of once your model was chosen, but then he had an ingenious plan on how they could still serve Rapture; not as protectors but as Gladiators."

"Yeah, yeah get to the the point," Lambda though "What's all this got to do with... Hang on a minute."

The man started to snigger sinisterly as somehow he knew Lambda had sussed it "That's right Alpha Series; the Colosseum, the place in Rome where the Gladiators fought for the entertainment of the populace, that is the purpose the Rapture Colosseum. The place where the Titans were imprisoned; that is the purpose of Tartarus, and you have willingly walked in to it it.

Allow me to introduce you to some of them."

Lambda's attention then turned to the sound of frantic movement approaching from one of the hallways leading in to the lobby. He raised his drill and readied for whatever was approaching.

There were three of them that entered the lobby, making bestial sounds of growling, snarling. They wore old deep sea diving suits very much like the ones once used during the building of Rapture; with the spherical shaped diving helmets that had a porthole on each side and above.

Yet none of them possessed the size and body physique of any Big Daddy, at the most they all appeared to be average height for a tall man with the physique and stance of a hard manual labourer.

Lambda was unsure whether or not they were just Splicers playing Big Daddies; yet tears and holes in their suits that revealed unusual human flesh even for a Splicer said otherwise. Sure enough the man on the monitor confirmed what he had already guessed.

"Yes Alpha Series, they are indeed Big Daddies; the very first to ever be produced. Though no where as formidable or perfect as you yourself, these unfortunate souls were long discarded before the name Big Daddy was ever conceived.

They have yet to fight in the arena but are eager to, so I give to them you to prove themselves worthy of that honour. And I must say I myself am eager to see the outcome."

He then rose from his chair, raised his hand with the three rings and gold wrist watch while still obscured by shadow and shouted "Gladiators begin!"

The first thing Lambda did before the lord of the arena gave the command to begin was assess what he was facing; already all three planned to come at him from all sides, each with its own kind of weapon. The one coming at him from his right carried a huge sledgehammer as a melee weapon, the second one that stood before him kept its distance and was armed with a modified rivet gun for long range attack.

The one that would come at him from his left had the most peculiar form of attack. Its left arm from the elbow down was completely missing, in its place hanging from the stump beneath it were a few lengths of rope that were all joined to a winch hanging by its waist. Joined to that was a large hook that had a few blotches and shreds of blood and human flesh on it.

Lambda however stood calm, he'd never fought with another Big Daddy before but had slain his fair number of Splicers during his test runs in the Proving Grounds; and these things were more Splicers than Big Daddies it appeared. He could easily take them.

"Alright," he spoke in thought while motioning with his left hand "Who's first?"

Before any of them could make the first move Lambda struck at the one in the centre holding the Rivet Gun with a jolt of electricity from his left hand. The reject Big Daddy was completely paralysed from the electrocution, leaving it vulnerable from attack. Yet Lambda only wanted it out of the way while he dealt with the other two.

The first one to strike was the one carrying the Sledgehammer, it drove directly for him and swung for his head. Lambda who towered over the false Daddy easily deflected the blow with a swing of his drill, another swing from Lambda then knocked the hammer out of its hands before he finally revved the drill and drove it in to its chest, killing it.

The other reject with the hook for an arm immediately attacked by swinging it at Lambda. The hook rolled out from the winch it was attached too and sailed for Lambda's head. But the Alpha Series anticipated its move; as he tossed aside the one he had just dealt with he then caught with his left hand the hook and with one strong pull of his arm yanked the failed Daddy through the air.

Using all of his strength he swung his opponent around the room and sent him flying directly at the one that had just shook off the electric shock that temporarily paralysed it. Both of them lay slumped up against the wall in a crumpled pile. Before they could stand Lambda drove at them; drill revving at full power and finished them in one powerful impalement.

"These sure as hell won't be fighting in any arena now," Lambda thought to himself, he then turned towards the monitor, knowing of course that the man on it couldn't hear what he had to say next "Is this the best you got to offer?"

"Very impressive Alpha Series, you qualify to fight in the arena. Come up to the arena floor, but be warned. Those poor excuse for Gladiators aren't the only failed models that Tartarus has to offer you. In the meantime I'll leave you to get more acquainted with that weakling Bernstein."

The monitor went blank and radio connection with Bernstein was re-established.

"Hello, can you hear me, thank goodness," Bernstein said, sounding over emotional "I may be trapped in here but I can just about see everything that goes on through the security camera's. I feared the worse when communication was cut off and Neumann sent those monstrosities to kill you."

"Neumann?" Subject Lambda though.

"Yes," Bernstein informed, anticipating Lambda's thoughts "Franz Neumann; the true monster of Tartarus who committed the unforgivable act against my family. Somehow he now runs its and I'm afraid what he said was true."

Lambda listened further as he picked up the Rivet Gun and looted the bodies for anything that would help him on his way "Tartarus does indeed house all the Big Daddy prototypes and models

that failed to meet the requirements your line offered. And so as Neumann explained to you were instead sent here to fight in the Colosseum arena as Gladiators.

Those that you just fought were the very first prototypes, there are plenty more like them roaming the hallways but not all are as weak as they were. Some were just too powerful and destructive to be released out in to the city. They ignore one another, never challenging or provoking the other in to a fight... Unless of course you reek of a pheromone that triggers their violent impulses.

A pheromone I regret to inform you very much like the one that was sprayed over you when you entered through the airlock."

"Son of a Bitch!" Lambda blurted out in his head.

"Its effects will last for no more than three hours, during that time you will I'm afraid be targeted by any you encounter so my advice would be to keep your guard up and take what ever opportunity you have," Bernstein explained while trying not to come of as some nervous blubbering wreck "I have limited resources but what I posses I will gladly send to you through the Pneumo tubes you encounter. Just as long as you can reach and rescue me. But I have faith that you will for you are unique in several ways; good luck Subject Lambda."

As Lambda loaded the Rivet Gun with extra ammo he scavenged of the bodies before slinging it over his back, he thought to himself "This would be a whole lot better if were rescuing a young attractive dame instead of that wet pounce. Why the hell am I even here?"

He then picked up the sledgehammer and placed it in to some kind of holster on his back, thinking it may come in handy. As he then headed down the hallway the three Reject Daddies had come from he suddenly experienced a sharp pain in his head and an illusion of blood on the wall, followed by a loud scream of terror.

And then suddenly it was all gone "What the fuck was that?" he was still for a moment before moving on.


	3. Chapter 3

**No Escape**

Lambda climbed three or four floors before stopping to get his bearings, along the way he'd encountered more of the Reject Daddies, but none that were said to be more formidable than the three he had easily bested on the ground floor. As he had progressed from the floor below he was further subjected to Neumann's sinister taunts and Bernstein's constant feeble prattle.

Though not all of what Bernstein said was twitter as Lambda learnt some information about himself...

"As I said Subject Lambda, you are unique. For you see you were never put through the protector trials as all Alpha Series were; that according to my contacts back at Rapture of course. What it means dear fellow is you were never pair bonded to a Little Sister, possibly because and no offence intended. Your completion and final testing came about the creation of the newer and sturdier models, and so you dear friend were instead put in to storage for future use."

"What kind of use...?" Lambda grumbled "Rescuing a wet blanket like you?"

Soon Lambda had reached the seventeenth floor before Neumann contacted him to make his next rant "How are the contenders for the gladiatorial ring amusing you Alpha Series?"

"No challenge if you wondering," Lambda thought in response.

"You have done well getting this far without suffering any injuries that would impede you reaching Bernstein, without a doubt you are more formidable than any of the weak rabble you have fought off..."

"True," Lambda responded in thought "If that's all you've got to offer then I'm clearly king of the ring."

"But don't think that's all Tartarus has to offer you, or have you forgot that earlier I mentioned there are still more than just that pathetic lot for you to contend with. More challenging they will be than what you've already fought. Perhaps now is the time for you to become acquainted with them."

Lambda came to a full halt before thinking with sarcasm "Shit and everything was going so smoothly."

"Perhaps we should start with the earlier prototypes of the Gamma Series," Neumann bragged "The Mark Three of that line was chosen as one of the successors to your model. Though they no longer call it that; I believe it is now called the Bouncer, prey chance your familiar?"

"Yeah..." Lambda thought with concern, having already encountered a few on his journey here; luckily though neither had any reason to harm one another; yet Lambda had witnessed the ferocity and power of one when defending the young gatherer it accompanied on her rounds. Seemed like nothing in Rapture could stand against them.

Yet before entering the tunnel outside the city that lead all the way here, he remembered spotting one inside a building he was passing and observed it briefly before it moved away from the window while engaged in a fight with some other kind of Big Daddy model; at least he thought it was a Big Daddy.

It was dressed like any other but lacked the intimidating size of one. Yet remarkably it seemed capable holding its own against the Bouncer and portrayed a resilience of actually slaying the brute with the two blades protruding from its arms that it used to duel it.

Sadly the two disappeared further in to the building before the fight was resolved, forcing Lambda to press on in to the tunnel.

Still he was deterred from wanting to face off with one; earlier model or not as he started to finally address the matter of why it was he had pressed on this far, fending off every spliced up reject Frankenstein that would attack him all because he didn't smell right and griping about the predicament he was in; when really he should have been considering doing the more reasonable, sensible, and the most fucking obvious thing to do...

Getting the fuck out before he actually ran in to one of these mean mother fuckers that would literally cut him in two.

That was it, decision made and final; and besides was there any reason to stay, was he under any obligation to rescue this man Bernstein, he didn't even know the guy. So what if his family had been murdered by the freak running the place; tragic and shocking yes but why should it matter to him, how was it relevant to him and why should it be. He a Big Daddy himself, of all things.

Bernstein got him self in to this mess coming here looking for vengeance, and now he got himself stuck here needing to be rescued. Needing Lambda to come get him; who the hell was it who sent him here anyway. Who the hell back at Rapture gave a fuck about the man to pull him out of storage and send him all the way through the mountain to this prison as it clearly was.

So many questions yet the only one that bothered him as why was he still hanging around when Neumann may have already sent one of these prototype Bouncers he'd just mentioned to kill him. Not dawdling on any more pointless debate he turned around and proceeded to head back down to the airlock before one actually showed.

Before he could even get off the floor he was on Neumann once again contacted him, having sussed his intentions "Leaving so soon Alpha Series, but you have not long got here. Or perhaps you are not aware that one who is cast in to depths of Tartarus may never escape."

A siren then wailed over Lambda's head with an automated announcement "Warning, lock-down in progress. Warning, lock-down in progress," Lambda looked at one of the windows on the floor he was on and saw the steel shutter used in emergency should the glass break now closing over it, it was the same with all the windows on the floor. All throughout Tartarus every window steel shutter closed.

"I believe you will find when you reach the ground floor Alpha Series that the airlocks themselves are now sealed, escape from Tartarus is impossible," Neumann revealed with a cold smugness "But I shall be fair, should you perhaps manage to reach Bernstein I may consider rewarding your efforts with safe passage out of here. So what's it to be Alpha Series; flee for your life and be hunted down until you are dead, or earn your freedom and that of Bernstein?"

Lambda clenched his fist in frustration as Neumann continued "Bernstein you'll find is hold up in one of the security observation rooms on the twenty third floor, though really I could easily get to the worm and do to him what I did to his family. But its more fun to torment him where he is."

"Your a real sick Bastard you know that," Lambda said in thought.

"Or if you wish you could perhaps become a contender for the arena," Neumann then proposed.

Lambda however had already made up his mind "I'm not gonna play your stupid games and I sure as hell am not gonna die running from you. If its the only means of escape then I'll go rescue Bernstein."

He then resumed his original heading and ventured on to where Bernstein was said to be holding up. As though on cue however Bernstein now able talk over the radio did.

"I heard everything Lambda old boy, and please don't think for one second I hold you in content for deciding to abandon me. I understand fully your reasons for wanting to suddenly leave, but it would seem now your only chance of ever leaving Tartarus will be to reach me; considering of course Neumann decides to keep his word.

Though still I doubt I'd be willing to leave until this matter with me and him is resolved."

"Well I ain't planning on hanging around until it is," Lambda thought "One way or another I'm getting out."

He climbed two more floors with no incident or confrontation, until finally the inevitable happened. As Neumann intended Lambda then found himself confronted by what he could only assume was the prototype Bouncer. And it was not what he was expecting.


	4. Chapter 4

**Mark One**

One would wonder why Lambda needed to move though each floor he reached just to ascend to the next one above; yes there were main staircases that provided access to all floors, two mainly for that matter. But for some reason each stairway had had their staircases blocked in an irrational order. One with all its even floors barricaded while on the far side of the building blocked on all its odd floor levels. Forcing Lambda to climb one flight of stairs and cut across each floor he reached just to ascend to the next one.

Through most of them he encountered hostility and oppression not from Splicers but from failed or reject Big Daddies that were either commissioned to being a security slave force, or as Neumann had described them; contenders competing for their spot in the arena.

So far all they all were all just the weakest of the lot; no different from the Splicers themselves or the three he had fought first upon arrival. But now Neumann was raising the stakes, and he did so by throwing next at Lambda the prototype versions of the Gamma series; or as Neumann had revealed; the Bouncer.

And sure enough Lambda was confronted by one; it stood standing between him and his route to the floor above and was clearly different from any Big Daddy he had ever seen because of one noticeable difference. Whereas Lambda and all the rest wore rubber like diving suits, it instead was completely encased within an Atmospheric Diving suit.

These suits were constructed entirely of metal with ball socket joints for movement and articulation of the arms and legs; yet this particular one had had extensive alterations made to enlarge it for the genetically overgrown poor soul placed inside.

Like the Bouncer its helmet protruded from its body but was massively larger with four portholes; each bigger than Lambda's own. The helmet was riddled various dents and welding marks from the custom modifications made to accommodate it's swollen enlarged deformed head. On its back was the massive life support gear with a hose connecting it to the helmet and feeding it with whatever kept it breathing.

A second hose; longer and also connected to the gear on its back ran all the way around to the front of its body and was connected to what appeared to be an air pressure type gun. It grasped it not with its own hands but with two three digit skeletal mechanical appendages, each on the end of its arms.

It sighted Lambda and slowly aimed its air pressure gun at him; Lambda quickly drew first with the rivet gun he acquired in his first brawl and fired twelve shots at the failed Gamma Series. The rivets however did nothing but bounce and ricochet off of its steel casing.

It in return fired three shots, each striking Lambda in the chest and inflicting severe harm on him; he griped in pain and dropped the rivet gun. Another three shots struck him in the chest, causing further pain as he then dropped the drill. Each shot had penetrated the diving suit that covered his body and was now burning away in his gut.

"Son of a bitch!" Lambda screamed in his mind. Acting fast he reached for the sledge hammer he still carried and flung it as hard as he could at the Gamma Series. It struck it hard in the head, inflicting a deep dent that left the lumbering brute a little dazed.

Shrugging off the pain and taking advantage of the time he had Lambda charged at full speed, slamming his whole body weight in to the reject Bouncer. It staggered back but still stood standing while regaining its senses and aiming this time for Lambda's head. Lambda however without flinching at the prospect of taking one in the head instead swiped the gun easily from its robotic hands and snapped it in two.

The Gamma Series now knew not what to do as its only means of offence lay broken in two pieces on the floor. Doing now the only thing that sprung in to its mind, in robotic like movements it raised its arms and tried to grab Lambda with its small bony like robotic claws. Yet as Lambda would prove to it, these so called fingered appendages were in no way designed for melee combat.

Lambda with his larger and stronger ones grabbed each one of the Gamma Series and crushed them easily before ripping them clear off the ends of its arms. The Gamma Series was literally disarmed now and incapable of any action to defend itself, it could do nothing but watch Lambda grab both sides of its head and head butt it hard. So hard that it eventually did topple over on to its back with only it's back mounted life support gear keeping it partially sitting up.

Lambda not finished with it aimed his left arm at the sledge hammer laying nearby on the ground and summoned it in to his hand through telekinesis. Holding it with both hands he relentlessly slammed it in to the reject Bouncer's head, hammering dent after dent that flattened it further with every blow. The welding marks on its helmet began to split apart while each porthole cracked and shattered.

Green and yellow ooze spurted and splurged out from them as Lambda continued to slam the sledgehammer relentlessly in to its head. Every blow hammered and crushed its disfigured face deeper and deeper in to its body till finally its helmet was as flat as a pancake, and Lambda was convinced it was dead. The whole time however it never made any sounds or any movement in response to the beating Lambda gave it, if it had not been for the mixture of ooze, Adam and septic puss that splattered Lambda would have been convinced the whole thing had been mechanical.

With the threat now over Lambda clutched both his chest and gut as his recent actions only intensified the pain. He struggled to endure it as he slung the sledgehammer through his belt and retrieved both the drill and rivet gun, as he groaned further he felt a sudden seizure come over him. Blood curdling screams like he had heard earlier upon his arrival rang through his head and visions of a room he had never seen before with blood spilt everywhere flashed before him.

He dropped the drill and rivet gun again while falling to his knees and grabbing his head. Both physical and mental pain overwhelmed him and drove him close to blacking out, where these visions came from he had no clue but clearly they were more intolerable and agonising than the physical pain he was on.

As the visions and mental agony subsided and the pain eased away, he began to pick himself back up and again retrieve the drill and rivet gun. The familiar sound of someone's snickering caught his attention and he stared in the direction of a large monitor screen built in to the wall of the room.

The screen was cracked but still operational as the monotone image of Neumann appeared on it. Again he sat in his arm chair; obscured by shadow as he rattled his right hand with the three gold rings he wore while on his left hand wrapped around his left wrist was his gold wrist watch. As Lambda glared at the screen he noticed that Neumann wasn't alone in his room.

Standing behind him appeared to be another Alpha Series, the image and lighting was poor but Lambda could tell that unlike him and the rest of their line, this one was painted entirely black. It stood glaring at the screen Neumann used to observe Lambda and at Lambda himself while Neumann bragged with further taunt.

"In pain are we Alpha Series, shouldn't matter considering all you Big Daddies are mentally conditioned to endure any pain or agony from injuries you sustain," Neumann bragged as he proceeded to mock Lambda further "But apparently it appears you have not been Alpha Series.

Tell me how does it feel to possibly be the only Big Daddy incapable of ignoring the sensation of pain.

All Big Daddies do respond to it as a means of distinguishing threats to them, but they have the mental capability of ignoring the distractions that pain and agony cause from physical harm.

They can push themselves as hard as they want, unless of course it becomes superficial and critical. So much so that they become weak and impaired, and incapable of carrying out their tasks before it consumes them and they simply fall and die. How will you cope, how will you endure?"

"Step out here and I'll give taste of how it does feel you sack of shit!" Lambda snarled back.

"Oh, bravo on dispatching the Mark 1 Gamma Series," Neumann complimented on Lambda's triumph over the reject Bouncer "But don't forget what I said earlier. The model chosen of that line that went on to be named the Bouncer was the Mark Three, That means there's still the Mark Two for you to get acquainted with, and I feel there is still some fight in you to just not postpone the next match."

As on queue heavy footsteps coming from one of the corridors leading in to the room where Lambda and the Mark One had just fought signalled the entrance of another contender for the makeshift ring. Lambda turned to face this new challenge.


	5. Chapter 5

**Mark Two**

The Mark Two was a definite step closer to what lead to the design of the Bouncer. Like the Mark Three it was obese and encased within the more leathery type diving suit all other Big Daddies were. It had the hunchback form of the Bouncer, but its torso was more egg shaped than oval. Its helmet that protruded from its body was smaller with only three portholes; one in the centre and one on the left and right side.

The thing however that really set it aside from the Bouncer was its means of combat. Rather than have mounted on its right arm the motor powered drill they all carried, it instead carried in its fingers a steel forged Brass Knuckles with two large hooks extending from it. To add more to its lethal menace it had attached to the left side of its arm a steel razor sharp, four bladed motorised fan. It clenched its left fist and the fan span fast enough to slice through anything, an attempt mainly to intimidate Lambda.

Lambda not too keen on brawling with it right after his struggle with the Mark One found himself without any other option. Since he had already exhausted all the ammo in the rivet gun he dropped it back down to the ground and pulled the sledge hammer out with his left hand, he swung it three times as a sign of fearlessness while revving in his right arm the drill he carried as a means of answering a roar with a roar.

Both opponents stood glaring at one another while Neumann who watched with the mysterious black Alpha Series broadcast his usual rant "Gladiators ready!" both Big Daddies stood ready, weapons raised and aimed "Begin!"

Both Lambda and the Mark Two drove at one another, just seconds away from clashing with one another. Lambda set his drill on the whirling fan blade, knowing of course it would shatter upon contact with it. If he could take that out all he would have to contend with were its hooks.

That's how it would have played out for him though if his concentration hadn't failed; the injuries and seizure brought on by the visions had affected his focus and in one lack of attention brought on by pain he missed his opportunity and suffered the consequences. The Mark Two's hooks struck first, piercing him in his left arm, they struck part of his nerves and paralysed his whole arm. He struggled to lift the sledgehammer but could not even raise it above his elbow.

As he tried to overcome it the Mark Two dealt a second blow; this time with its whirling blades. First it slashed at his gut and then slashed the side of the upper part of his right arm, pain as excruciating as hell rippled through Lambda's whole body as he nearly blacked out, his lips on his misshapen head within his helmet felt the taste of his Adam Spliced blood regurgitate in response to the physical harm inflicted upon him.

He tried to back away but the Mark Two's hooks embedded in his arm heaved him back; refusing to let its catch get away. Lambda saw the blades being ready to slash their way next through his neck, not waiting to see if his helmet would actually protect him he raised right foot and stomped the ground as hard as he could; releasing a huge jolt of electricity.

The Mark Two was temporarily incapacitated as Lambda struck back. Overcoming the pain in his arm he raised the drill, revved it hard and drove directly for the whirling blades. Against the solid whirling piece of metal they stood no chance, shattering upon contact with the drill. The drill drove further on, digging its way in to its arm as Lambda returned the favour.

The Mark Two now the one in retreat attempted to do so but was unable due to its inability to pull free the hooks still embedded in Lambda's arm. It only aggravated him further to swing his drill for its head, Lambda pounded as much as he could till finally the Mark Two withdrew by releasing its grip on hook mounted brass knuckles and leaving them embedded in Lambda's arm.

Dropping the drill Lambda used his free hand to remove the hooks from his arm, now able to move it again he took hold of the sledgehammer in both arms and pounded the Mark Two back in to a corner. He then threw it aside and grabbed both sides of its helmet, using all his strength he squeezed hard and slowly crushed its head.

It dropped to its knees and fell on its face, dead. Just like the Mark One, both the predecessors of the Mark Three; The Bouncer. Now fully decommissioned and out of service for good, before any of them got their moment to shine in the arena.

Lambda meanwhile grabbed where he had been slashed in his right arm while his right hand grasped his gut. Though his body was genetically altered to immediately clot after such injuries, the physical pain however remained and without the mental conditioning to endure it he felt he could not go on any longer.

He pressed his head against the wall and breathed frantically as he tried to regain his strength. Yet there was no relief for the pain and the sound of Neumann's voice once more felt as though it was only adding insult to injury. Yet this time however he had no taunts or motion to mock Lambda.

"Once again Alpha Series you triumph in the face of battle; here in this house of Titans and Gladiators you for the moment rein champion over all of them. You impress me, so much so that I have decided to allow you time to yourself; to recover, but not too much. I'll leave you now to be comforted by you friend Bernstein."

The room then went silent, nothing but Lambda's groaning echoed through it as he stood alone, nursing his injuries. His radio then wailed as Bernstein was allowed to speak to him in his hour of need.

"Subject Lambda, how have you faired. I witnessed the fight and have no doubt it was brutal for you. I wish there was a way I could assist you other than burdening you with my misfortune."

"Oh don't beat yourself up Albert 'Old Boy'!" Lambda groaned with content for the ordeal he had just been through "And for your information, 'yes' it was fucking brutal. Anything else obvious you want to fucking state?"

"I wish there was some way I could offer you aid other than my guidance but I do have some news for you. Once you reach the floor above you will only be three floors away from reaching me."

"Oh that's fucking good news," Lambda again remarked with harsh criticism "Only three floors from reaching you. That's if Neumann holds off that long or I don't collapse or fall apart."

"And that is not all Subject Lambda," Bernstein continued, unaware of the grudge Lambda had growing against him "The floors you will be passing through have repair shops and facilities that may provide you with the means to treat yourself and reequip as well."

"I seriously doubt I can fix myself up all by myself, but it's better than nothing if it means getting to you and getting the hell out of here," Lambda then sighed as he gathered up the drill and Rivet gun and pressed on.


	6. Chapter 6

**Repair Shop**

The floor Lambda walked through did indeed offer the facilities and equipment needed to repair his damaged body, yet these repair shops weren't automatic and required physical manhandling. Something he could not do alone by himself.

The so called 'gear' and possible artillery Bernstein advised he equip himself was neither functional nor adequate than what he already carried. The only thing of use and value was the ammo and Eve syringes he found.

Still it did little to ease the pain and suffering his injuries plagued him with, he stood next to a large work table where various Big Daddy models would be laid upon when being repaired or being prepped for the arena. But right now the only thing it was good for was just lying down and waiting to die.

He was at a loss on what to do, he couldn't press on in his condition and he couldn't patch up his own wounds. Yet still something inside compelled him to keep moving, it clearly wasn't Bernstein; that whiney little bitch he thought.

His attention suddenly fell on the sound of footsteps approaching from further down the hallway. Not eager for another fight Lambda hid around the corner and hoped who or whatever it was took a turn that led far away from him. Instead they continued on to where he stood.

Judging by how light they were it was safe to assume that they were possibly another reject like the first three he encountered, and decided to take out the son of a bitch once he came around the corner before he knew what hit him.

Eventually when the poor unfortunate schmuck did, Lambda struck him from behind with his fist. As who or what ever fell to the ground, Lambda next revved his drill, only to then halt his attack by three words shouted in a plea "No please don't!"

Ceasing any further action for the moment Lambda found that it was a man he had almost slain. He lay cowering on the floor wearing a pair of filthy blue overalls; he had long unmanageable hair and a poorly groomed greasy beard. He was somewhat unnourished and scrawny; no doubt from malnutrition.

He lay there still cowering and pleading for his life "Please don't kill me, I ain't worth it!"

Lambda's radio wailed as Bernstein then spoke "Good heavens Subject Lambda, it's a man!"

"Brilliant observation genius," Lambda added with sarcasm.

"Well don't just leave the poor fellow on the floor, help him up," Bernstein then instructed.

"In a cynical response Lambda muttered "Yes oh yes or Master!" He reached out his hand, offering to help him to his feet. The man too scared to accept merely inclined that it was unnecessary and stood himself. He looked up at Lambda, fearful as hell and panicking that any second he would really knock him dead.

Although hardly of any concern to Lambda, Bernstein on the other hand could see some significant importance at easing his distress and securing his trust "Excuse Subject Lambda, but if you could you turn your radio to external broadcast please?"

Lambda grunted as he then complied with Bernstein's instructions; allowing him to address the man "Hello there sir, please excuse my associate, I hope he has in no way harmed you as it was not his intention."

The man looked at Lambda, confused and astonished that he was speaking "Yo… You can talk?"

Lambda remained silent while letting Bernstein do the talking"No my dear fellow, my associate who you see standing before you is incapable of speech. So I as you see speak for him. My name is Albert Bernstein, and this fine fellow who I apologise for, and I am sure if he could, would apologise for his harsh behaviour."

"A Big Daddy named Albert?" the man responded clueless and at the same time sounding rather slow.

As Lambda restrained himself from knocking the man down for his idiocy, Bernstein continued "No sir, please pay attention. As I said my name is Albert Bernstein, and I'm being held somewhere within Tartarus. I am speaking through the radio Subject Lambda carries. Who you see has been sent here to rescue me."

"Oh…" was all the man could say.

"Yes…," Bernstein muttered at this less than enthusiastic response "Forgive me but I did not catch your name?"

"Travis…"

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance Mr Travis, may I ask how it is you happen to be wondering the hallways of Tartarus. I had assumed that only I and that scoundrel Neumann were the only two people residing within this place?"

Speaking in a quiet and somewhat weary voice Travis gave a quick explanation for his unfortunate predicament "I was originally recruited to work on repairing and equipping the Big Daddy gladiators when this place opened. But instead been stuck here since the lockdown, since then I've been trying to stay clear of the ones Newman lets roam the halls. They've all but killed everyone else who was trapped here."

"Yes, both I and Lambda have had the misfortune to have been acquainted with Newman and his iron brutes. Forgive me but did you just say your job was repairing the Big Daddy?" Bernstein asked with interest.

"Yeah."

"Then perhaps you could be of help to my associate here, as you have probably observed he has sustained damage and suffered injury in his confrontations with some of the iron muscle that as you have mentioned roam this building," Bernstein explained "I trust of course you have access to a fully operational repair facility?"

"Yeah, I've been using one as a hideout, wait… You want me to… fix him… right?"

…

The two soon arrived at Travis's place; he led Lambda in through the door and then sealed it once they were inside. It was indeed a workshop for repairing Big Daddies and designing and manufacturing various armour and weaponry. There were work tables with all kinds of partially dismantled weaponry and Big Daddy equipment laid upon them along with tools and machinery.

In the middle of the room was a type of work table for the Big Daddies to lie upon for repairs, modifications, or simply being prepped for the games. All kinds of electronic machinery surrounded it for monitoring life signs and brainwaves.

Lambda looked around and saw three more doorways, each shut; there were a few wooden stools but no chairs. In a corner was a filthy mattress with a pillow and blanket that all together made a make shift bed, there was even a makeshift kitchen setup on one of the work tables that had on it a kettle and a pot simmering on what appeared to be a cobbled together electric stove.

This drew his attention next to something else present; another man who stood hovering over the pot. He wore the same type of overalls Travis wore, but was completely bald with no facial hair. He was as scrawny and filthy as Travis and had the same ill undernourished complexion; his boney fingers grasped the wooden spoon he used to stir the pot.

He stood as still as a statue, toying with the pot and its boiling contents. His whole face had an odd unsettling look of calmness, if not however for the wide open eyes and the emotionless look in them.

Without even introducing him Travis addressed the man "I'm back," the only courtesy he showed next was introducing their guest "This is Lambda, he's new here."

The man however made no response or showed any emotional reaction to Lambda's presence.

"Your friend it appears dose not say much," Bernstein stated, having observed through the camera built in to Lambda's head.

"That's Malcolm," Travis revealed "He ain't been right in the head since we've been stuck here."

Malcolm made no comment or response; verbal or physical. Instead he just stood still by the stove, still looking at the two.

"How's are grub coming along?" Travis asked "You're not letting it burn are you? His tone being a bit irritated at Malcolm's lack of attention.

Malcolm again made no response other than slowly turn his head to gaze down at the boiling water within the pot. Deciding it was ready he turned off the stove, grabbed a ladle and filled two bowls full of boiled meat. It appeared though meat was all he had cooked; there were no spices or vegetables that together would have made a broth.

Lambda watched Malcolm hand one of the bowls to Travis and then sit with him by a large crate that served as a dining table for the two. Both without looking one another in the face slowly spoon fed themselves the soggy boiled meat that did little to raise their spirits or their esteem. Lambda got the impression they were deliberately ignoring him as they sat huddled over their bowls; like two kids who had committed something mischievous and had someone of authority suddenly breathing down their necks.

Travis soon broke the awkward silence "Oh sorry… did you want some?" he then raised his bowl; referring to the meat they were eating.

While Malcolm stopped eating and stared silently in to his bowl; Lambda motioned with his hand the simple response 'No'. Had he the means to speak he would have said "Do you see a mouth on my head?"

The room was silent again as the two turned back to their bowls with Lambda still watching, feeling once more ignored by the two. As they then finished he decided to remind Travis about the matter they discussed. He walked over to the man who looked him in the face and drew his attention to his injuries that continued to plaque him.

Travis with his low esteem tone merely responded "Oh… right, just give us a minute and we'll get you sorted," he then looked at Malcolm who was staring at him "Umm… His friend you've heard talks over the radio asked us to… Fix him up."

"Bernstein dear fellow," he reminded him.

"Yeah Bernstein, he's trapped in here somewhere with us. Lambda's come to rescue him."

Malcolm as usual said nothing and just stared, yet Travis had some idea what he was thinking "Don't fucking look at me like that alright, he knocked me down outside."

While there was an awkward silence between the two, Lambda's radio wailed once more "I beg your forgiveness again Mr Travis for Lambda's somewhat ill treatment during your encounter. But please understand he has been through a most unpleasant ordeal since arriving here, as you can see. And if as we discussed earlier, were you to repair and possibly equip him for his journey ahead, then the sooner you do this the sooner he will leave you and your colleague."

Looking first at Malcolm who had finished his bowl Travis then turned to Lambda and agreed "Yeah… yeah alright. We'll do that but let us finish our grub alright," while he did this, neither noticed Malcolm quietly gnawing on his clenched fist while looking away.

…

After a few more servings, Lambda finally lay upon the work table while Malcolm and Travis got kitted out. Despite their low esteem, lack of enthusiasm and such they made good progress in treating Lambda's wounds and stitching up the tears in his diving suit.

Lambda could soon feel the pain beginning to subside and his treatment only heightened his quick recovery. Removing their goggles or welding masks, Malcolm and Travis then stepped back and examined their handiwork. Lambda saw how Travis with his arms folded rattled his fingers on them while Malcolm nervously twiddled his thumbs with his shoulders flexed.

Travis squeezing his arms more looked satisfied "Not bad, not bad. Alright, let's get started on the armour."

Rolling out several carts they brought out an assortment of what appeared to be large body armour plates; designed specifically for any Alpha Series condemned to the arena. At their request Lambda stood, allowing them to fit it all over his body. They covered his arms, legs and shoulders, and even fitted a chest plate.

The two then stood back, examining how well they had fitted the armour and how distinguishable it made Lambda from regular Alpha Series. Lambda himself staring at his reflection in a large mirror in the workshop reckoned he looked more formidable and durable than ever, even seemed he was an entirely new model fresh out of the factory.

"Nice," he thought with some smug pride. The armour though did appear to be recycled from various scraps of metal, but the craftsmanship in forging them gave the impression they had been custom made for an Alpha Series; or more importantly for Lambda.

He then turned to Malcolm and Travis who rolled another cart up next. On it Lambda saw was a drill very much like the one he carried but brand new, unused, and judging by its components and manufacture far more advanced and more importantly; more powerful.

"This baby ain't like that piece of junk you or them Bouncer types carry," Travis explained "They only had the resources and funding to manufacture three of these. It's three times more powerful than your regular drill, and the drill head was forged with some new experimental metal they discovered somewhere out in the ocean floor.

Also some nerd I heard devised a way where it's fuel consumption is reduced to half. On top of all that its fitted with some device that when revved can deflect any bullets fired at you. Go on, try it out."

Taking his word for it Lambda disarmed the one he carried and equipped himself with the newer one. He looked once more in the mirror and felt the drill made him even more distinguishable from the rest of his line. His optimism on further encounters with any other Big Daddies peeked to a higher level.

Now all that was needed he thought was some heavy… As though on cue another trolley rolled up beside him; this time it had placed upon it a modified Gatling gun. Travis explained how its clip size had been increased to eighty rounds, its recoil when being fired was reduced and attached to it was a grenade launcher able to fire off four explosives.

This was better than Lambda could have hoped. Now if they were to throw in a few new… Again something else was brought before his side; new Plasmids and Gene Tonics.

"They planned on spicing up the matches by splicing the Gladiators, so they cooked up all sorts of new crap for the Big Daddies," Travis explained as he went through the list of what was displayed on the table "For Plasmids we've got the more potent Electro Bolt, Winter Blast, Inferno. Some new ones like Glob, Magnalock… There's this new one; Vine and wrap," he then turned to the Gene Tonics "We got Sports Boost, some that will make you invulnerable to both electrical attacks and also frost and fire. There's this new one," he referred to one bottle who's contents was a thick dark lavender goo that gave off an eerie glow "Supposed to up your senses or something, I don't know. But it couldn't hurt to try I guess."

Fiddling with the various bottles of the gene altering serums, Lambda selected the first three Plasmids and the Sports Boost. The remaining lot; especially the new Plasmids he was sceptical about, Travis however explained all he knew about them and what they were capable of.

"If you want my opinion, I'd take the whole lot," he suggested to Lambda, sounding a little too eager to convince the Alpha Series "I'm just saying better to be prepared than to be sorry, or something."

Lambda looked at him, suspicious and curious, yet incapable as expected to ask one simple question "Have you?" instead he managed to enquire by pointing at Travis and then pointing at the bottles.

Travis eventually caught on and answered "Too dangerous, these things are too… 'much' for normal people like us to splice with, More likely make us explode," he grasped his left fingers and twiddled his thumb while staring in to the porthole of Lambda's head and at the eerie yellow glow emanating from it. He waited nervously for Lambda to make any kind of response, but his constant stillness and endless glaring at him only rattled Travis "Look just take the damn things okay, Christ do you have any idea what that sick freak will unleash when you go back out there," Travis's face was so close to Lambda's that he ended up breathing condensation all over his porthole.

Lambda slowly wiped it away but left his hand still pressed against the side of his porthole, as though to say "Don't do that."

Travis backed off shaking with fright "I'm sorry alright I'm just…" he wasn't sure if Lambda was going to strike him for is impulsiveness. All Lambda did was slowly remove his hand from his side and continue to hold his pose while Malcolm quietly kept his distance.

The awkward moment was interrupted by Bernstein cutting in through the radio "Subject Lambda, I'm sure Mr Travis meant no insult. But I would take his advice in to consideration, especially after your recent confrontations. And if I know Neumann; and I regret deeply saying it, he has yet to send out the bigger guns.

Despite your new armour and arsenal I believe you will still need more, so I would suggest for your sake and your survival you take Travis's advice."

Still somewhat hesitant, Lambda complied though and motioned to the two to finally splice him up. Each took a syringe and ejected through a small entry hole in his suit a large douse of each bottles gooey contents. Each insertion caused mild spasms and near blackouts that nearly caused Lambda to collapse; normally earlier splicing such as what had been administered to him during his creation had built up a somewhat tolerance to the first symptoms of short lived side-effects.

But these newer ones as Travis had warned had more of a kick than what he was use too, and already he could feel them coursing through his veins. Lumbering in a near daze he shot straight towards the chair he hadn't long sat in and waited for the rough ride to be over with. As he sat with the whole room spinning around him he looked at Malcolm and Travis who kept their distance.

Lambda watched as they started to back away towards one of the doors in the room "We're… we're gonna go crash for a few hours okay," Travis nervously yawned "It be a while before your head is back on front, so just… so just sit there for while till it dose alright," he then followed Malcolm in to the next room and shut the door.

As drowsiness started to take hold of Lambda he thought for a moment "Isn't that your bed over in the corner…?"

…

The room was somewhat dark with the convenience of a burning fire place and a knocked over lamp to illuminate it. The man staggered to and fro in a volatile daze, he wiped the bro of his head only to dampen it with something a lot warmer and stickier than his sweat. He looked at his hand and saw blood all over it; not his however. He looked at his other hand and saw that he held something hard and stained with it. He then looked next at the body that lay before him on the floor; bruised and battered but still moving.

Not for long though as in some primeval rage he swung the object he held and viciously beat the near dead soul to death. A scream then followed from across the room at the sudden murder committed and the man's blood lust eyes fell upon a woman standing in the doorway.

Without giving her any warning the man lounged towards her and grabbed her neck, strangling the very life from her. The man shook her as he did and even slammed her head against the wall repeatedly, intending to instead smash her skull in rather than choke her. Eventually she stopped struggling and he released his hold on her, allowing her lifeless body to drop to the floor. He looked at the blood stain left on the wall where he had bashed her head at, looked at the other dead bodies he had killed with primal rage.

And like a primitive savage let out an animalistic cry.

…

Lambda awoke, somewhat shaken from the dream, the flashes of violence and sounds of screaming were starting to become more intense and clearer in his head. He pondered for a moment over why he was having these visions and if they had any significance to his old life; if he could recall any of it that was.

It wasn't natural though for a Big Daddy to be curious of what sort of life he had led before he was drafted involuntary in to this line of work. All that was known was you had to have pissed of Ryan to have been, and he wondered next what intolerable deed he had done.

He rose from the chair he had been resting in, his head now clearer with no symptoms of any migraine or possible blackouts to force him back in to it. Malcolm and Travis were nowhere in sight; possibly still sleeping in the next room. Again the radio then wailed.

"Ah Subject Lambda, I trust you are rested and in good health now. I hope the recent ordeal still hasn't deterred you from your mission to rescue me?"

"No it hasn't," Lambda responded in thought "How else am I gonna escape from this nut house," he then added with sarcasm.

"I'm sorry to rush you along, but now that you are rested and healed; and may I also add; better equipped now. Perhaps you can now get back to your mission?"

Oddly though Lambda responded over the radio with a simple amplified groan, to which Bernstein interpreted as simply 'on it'.

A soon as the radio went dead Lambda headed for the door, deciding not to bother waiting for Malcolm and Travis to awake. But he realised however he needed them to unlock the door that was still sealed. He could have simply broken the lock and opened it himself, but then he'd be leaving the workshop open for any wondering Titan to invade their little domain and cause some serious shit your pants moments for the two.

At first he chose to simply sit back in the chair and wait, but after fifteen minutes he found the unnecessary delay in his task somewhat tedious and frustrating. He looked around the room and better observed it this time since he was not plagued by the pain of his injuries. Nothing new he hadn't already seen; there were a few extra overalls hanging on the wall, few extra work boots. Some of them seemed to be either too big or small for both Malcolm and Travis.

He glanced at the make-shift bed lying in the back corner of the room, nothing new there; other than of course the small crate next to it that served as a bed-side table. Placed upon it was an inactive alarm clock, a battery powered lamp, and a black photo frame that caught his attention.

Holding it he examined the photo it held, saw it was of a man with his wife and son; but neither was this man Malcolm or Travis. It didn't take a genius to figure out that this work shop had had more than the gangly duo dwelling in it. Possibly this unfortunate soul had fallen prey to the prototype Big Daddies; he recalled Travis said they had killed everyone trapped within Tartarus. Yet strange it was that he had not seen a single body on any of the floors he had climbed.

He then looked at the cooking pot that was no longer boiling and approached it; lifting the lid he used the ladle to extract some of the remaining boiled meat. The drenched pale grey flesh was unlike any he had seen before; or any he could recall. He had doubts that it was even edible.

He poured it all back in to the pot and placed the lid back on before turning next to the door where Malcolm and Travis were behind. Deciding he was no longer going to wait he stepped through the door and upon entering found they were nowhere in sight. This baffled him as there was no other way in or out of the room he stood in and was certain this was the one they had entered.

Then he thought how not too long ago the splicing had made the whole room spin for him. Obviously with his head so disorientated he had mistaken this as the room they had entered when all this time they were snoozing in the next one. With that realisation he should have headed there next, but his attention was still on the room he stood in.

Lambda had realised that this was their larder, yet every shelf was devoid of any kind of food say for a few empty food jars. He had also observed several meat hooks hanging from the ceiling and saw a few strains of meat dangling from them from when the meat was removed and boiled in the cooking pot.

Lambda then approached a table that had both a meat cleaver and carving knife laid upon it. Both had traces of blood on them that puzzled him for some reason, he looked next at a waste disposal bin and saw something inside just visible that he pulled out. It was a large table mat, heavily stained in more blood that started to make him concerned about his two so called acquaintances. Finally he saw at the back of the room a large freezer box that not only had a padlock on its lid but also a blood stained handprint. Without any further hesitation he marched straight towards it, ripped off the lock and examined what was in it.

Meat as was expected carved from their carcasses and cleaved from their bones, all of it piled on to one side of the freezer. While on the left side unprocessed meat that had yet to be treated on the butcher table; and it was that particular meat that really started to make sense to Lambda. It was all chopped up but not in enough pieces that Lambda failed to recognise a severed hand, a leg amputated on both ends, and a human torso.

Human flesh was what was contained in the freezer, human flesh that had hung on the meat hooks, human flesh that had been boiled and eaten by Malcolm and Travis. Humans they had killed and lived off. Lambda didn't hang around; he headed for the main door deciding that he would instead just break the lock and leave. He stepped out in to the main workshop to find Malcolm and Travis already up on their fleet and standing in his way.

Travis held in his hand a sledge hammer; did he really think he was going to stop or even intimidate him with it. Malcolm meanwhile just stood hunched over while grasping both his hands. They looked like a bunch of school boys whose mischievous deeds had suddenly been unearthed and the repercussions that they feared were to follow.

Travis however still shaking finally spoke in his low esteem tone "There were ten of us in here originally when this place was shut off from Rapture. Others too tried doing the same wherever they could after Neumann went all psycho and began letting the gladiators roam the hallways; anyone who crossed their paths got slaughtered so it was best only to stay out of their way and dig in to whatever hole you could find."

Travis went on as he explained further the circumstances that led their disgraceful living "But the one thing we all couldn't live without was food; so when our supplies started to run out we realised we had to search outside to find more regardless of the dangers. We grabbed what we could find and carry, but then Neumann began hording all there was all for himself and pretty soon there was nothing left for us.

After only seven of us were left and we were starved to near death we realised the only thing around here for us to live on were the stiffs left in the hallways," there was a slight pause from Travis as he then came clean of what was now obvious and out "So we ate their flesh just to survive" he looked away as he was slightly aware of how immoral it was yet seemed undeterred by it "We searched every floor and every room for wherever they lay; messy business at first the way we stripped their flesh but our methods got better. We even began to ignore any other proper food we found all because we grew a taste for human flesh.

We never talked about what we did or how we felt, it was all to survive. But I think Neumann actually enjoyed seeing what we became as we never had any run-ins with his goons," Travis then took a breather as spilling his guts hypothetically than literally was causing wheels to turn in his head about his and Malcolm's gory deeds. Probably not enough to invoke regret and remorse, but their further sins he would next speak of had caused him to start to see their grim immorality.

"Things though went bad when the remaining stiffs we found had been dead for too long and their flesh too rotten to eat. But we also started finding the other survivors hiding out; they were hungry like us and looking a little scrawny, but were fresh. So we brought em back here with the promise of a meal, never mentioning of course they were the meal," Travis then took another short breather "Yep, we actually began killing for our food, but along with the healthy stiffs they soon ran in short supply. But I think really we hit rock bottom when finally we had to face facts, that the only thing now left for us to eat was each other.

We put it to a vote and all seven of us agreed that through a draw one of us would be everyone else's meal ticket. After we'd eaten everything the poor sod had on him or her we'd draw again for the next one," Travis then looked at the empty bed in the corner "Until two days ago there were three of us standing in this workshop, now there's just the two of us. Pretty soon there'll just be one, with nothing to eat."

Having now told Lambda everything Travis had just one question for him "So, now that you know, what are you gonna do to us?"

Lambda slowly marched past them towards the door and pointed at the lock. Travis catching on unlocked it for him allowing him to open the door and finally leave. He took one look at the two, leaving them to ponder exactly what his thoughts and emotions were running through his head.

They clearly guessed he would take no action against them for what they had done; but why for though? Was it out of pity, was it because he owed them for his treatment and the gear they supplied. Perhaps really he did think what they did was criminal and leaving them to eventually turn on one another was punishment enough. Or just simply he understood himself the instinct and need to survive."

He turned to the hallways outside and was about to step out when an unfamiliar voice called out "watch out for Cerberus," Lambda looked back and saw Travis staring at Malcolm whom he realised was the one who had spoken "Watch out for Cerberus, there are two more drills like the one you carry. One is in pieces and the other he carries," that was all he had to say.

Lambda then remembered earlier the black Alpha Series standing next to Neumann when he had last appeared on a monitor. He took the warning in to consideration before finally heading on his way.

**Okay, you were probably expecting another Chapter from Big Brothers Promise. But I recon I only have four more chapters of this story left so I in tend to complete this one first.**


	7. Chapter 7

**The Deadly Three**

The reject Daddies never let up, hordes of them came at Lambda, armed with guns and any form of melee weapon. But equipped and armed as he was now made him a force to be reckoned with. The sledge hammer he still carried was charged with energy from one of his new gene tonics, and upon striking any of the rejects gave off a powerful discharge that killed whatever it struck, along with any other unfortunate to be near.

While he fended them off with the hammer in his left hand he also double duelled with his new drill in his right; revving and swinging it and thrusting at any that came near him, cutting through their diving suits and cracking open their helmets.

The armour attached to his body held up well against any blunt, blows or shot fired at him. Sparks would fly upon impact and minor dents was all but left, but never did they deter or slow him in his tracks. After knocking them all dead he was suddenly confronted by another mob that came straight out of the doorway he was headed to.

They ran down a very narrow hallway straight towards him, one that Lambda took advantage of. Fuelled on his Sports Boost Gene Tonic and revving the drill, he charged like a mad bull and ploughed his way through all ten of them. All of them lay dead on the floor and Lambda didn't pass up the chance to relieve them of anything he could use.

Aside from a six clip shot gun, some extra gun ammo and a bag full of grenades, everything else had either been damaged when he ran them down or was just dead weight. He pressed on and was just one floor away from finally reaching Bernstein who still gave Lambda his support and encouragement; though Lambda felt he could really help just by shutting up.

But of course if he wasn't bothering him then Neumann was with his frivolous boasting at how futile his efforts were and his vain assurance and threats of how he would soon fall before reaching his goal. Neumann would however give Lambda a heads-up on upcoming encounters with one of the early Big Daddy prototypes that succeeded his model.

Many he discovered were Alpha Series just like him, but some differed in appearance due to alternate deep sea diving gear used in their production. Bernstein explained that the original diving suits used were in short supply, and the engineers simply opted to use other such types supplied by the other contractors in Raptures construction.

Aside from colour, the main difference in these suits was the shape of the helmet that was simply just sphere shaped with a porthole on the front, back, left and right. And of course a large oxygen cylinder strapped on to their back. Yet still they weren't as well equipped or armed as Lambda, nor did any of them seem to possess any Plasmids. And in these clashes Lambda got to demonstrate to them the new ones he was spliced with.

Vine and Wrap appeared in his left hand as a glob of green mucus that had seeped out though the finger tipped holes in his glove. When confronted by four he threw two glob fulls at the first two that stuck to their chest, and from them sprouted some rapidly growing thick plant vines that entangled the two and the rest that were too close for comfort.

Magnalock when used against a mob armed with guns and grenade launchers caused everything metallic within a certain range, including their guns to become magnetised to them and to one another. Leaving them incapable of moving and vulnerable to Lambda and the Gatling gun he unleashed upon them.

The other Plasmids he had also obtained proved just as effective. The new improved Winter Blast allowed him to freeze multiple groups of targets in a few short blasts, he would then mop up with several grenades that caused all that was frozen to shatter.

Further on he encountered more of the earlier Bouncer prototypes. One such version had large mechanical claws big enough to snap a man in two. It demonstrated this lethal and intimidating method on a dead Alpha lying nearby before charging for Lambda.

Not wanting to engage in close combat Lambda threw at it another glob of mucus formed this time from the Plasmid simply named Glob. It stuck to its chest but did nothing other than cause it halt in its pace, it attempted to remove the odd coloured snot ball by smearing it off with its left arm it. But like gum stuck in hair its arm and chest became entangled as the mucus like substance began to spread over its body. It then made things worse for itself by trying to use its right claw to cut through, but instead it became more entangled.

It became frantic trying to free itself but the more it struggled the worse off it was. Eventually it was put out of its misery by Lambda.

Further on Lambda encountered another type of Bouncer; one that had large steel mitts and a pair of bull like steel horns protruding from its head. It stamped its foot and pounded its mitts together before stampeding towards him. Already with a plan in motion Lambda fired a large bolt of electricity from his left hand that stopped the oncoming bull by incapacitating it for a few brief seconds.

Dropping the gun and drill and charging for it, Lambda seized it by the horns with his hands. Using all his strength he swung it aside and sent it lumbering towards something he had seen and used to his advantage; a half opened elevator door that had a sign hanging on it "Danger, Elevator Out Of Order".

The horned headed Bouncer smashed through the doors and plummeted to its death, Lambda heard it first hit the top of the elevator that stood motionless just a few floors below, its weight caused it to break free and crash hard with it in to the ground below.

Further on all opposition then came only from the usual rabble of rejects and Alphas. They attacked with melee weapons; sledge hammers, steel pipes, even fire axes. But none carried any gun that Lambda could unload to replenish the ammo he depleted. Oil to fuel his drill was scarce, and to make matters worse Eve appeared to be unavailable on the floor he stood

Finally after three more confrontations he wandered on down a corridor and eventually stepped out in to a large empty room with six pillars that held up the floor above. The room had a circular floor layout with an exit much like the one he had entered through on both the left and right far sides. There was a large TV screen above him with various benches present for those who sat upon to watch whatever was broadcast.

Upon further observation Lambda realised that the room was in fact used as a Bookmakers hall for placing bets on the Gladiatorial games; watched of course on the large monitor screen. At the far back of the room was the main betting office. All of it, windows and doors were sealed by steel shutter. And behind them Lambda guessed lay Bernstein; all ready with the tearful relief and nauseating rant of gratitude. He even confirmed his presence to Lambda by speaking to him.

"Oh finally, thank the heavens Subject Lambda that you've arrived, I can honestly say my friend I am relieved that we will finally leave this forsaken place. I feel I must be honest with you; I was stricken with doubt that you would ever succeed in reaching me; and therefore being condemned to live out the rest of my life in this prison of Titans.

But atlas, you have proven yourself the king of the gladiatorial ring, and therefore have earned my eternal gratitude and my humble apology for ever underestimating you," Bernstein prattled with relief and joy, though Lambda found it nauseating "I must say, my time of captivity here has given me a lot to think about and contemplate perhaps abandoning my vendetta.

Yes my family have yet to be avenged but I fear now I no longer have the stomach and will to see it resolved.

I regret that in this hollow victory Neumann is still the victor and I will have to settle for the consolation prize of merely leaving here with my life. Forever shamed that I failed to bring my families killer to justice and allow for their souls to finally rest."

"Yeah well sorry to hear there'll be no reckoning between you two," Lambda remarked in thought "But I ain't staying a minute longer in this nut house, and you're dreaming if you think I'm settling this vendetta for you," he proceeded towards the steel shutters while still ranting to himself "I've had a hell of a time trying to reach you and the minute the lock-down is lifted on this place we go our separate ways. Hell I don't even care if you suddenly decide to stay and finish what you came here to do, because I ain't staying a minute longer. I am done with this place and the second I'm out through those doors I'm getting as I can from this place."

Even though it didn't matter to him, Lambda did ponder how exactly Bernstein expected to leave Tartarus should he be sincere about giving up on revenge and departing with him. The whimpering buffoon had to have first travelled here by Bathysphere and clearly it had to still be docked here somewhere. If so it would save him having to trek back to Rapture through the railway tunnel.

And then something more he considered which surprised even him was perhaps offering Malcolm and Travis the chance to leave with them. He thought he owed them that much after the fix-up they did for him; regardless though of the gory revelation.

Crossing the room he marched towards the shutters, meeting no opposition of such. He stood before them, the only obstacle between him and Bernstein. He slammed on one to alert Bernstein he was standing outside. There came a gentle tap from within.

"Quickly Subject Lambda, I cannot open the doors on this side. You need to enter the security code on to the keypad on your side; I'll give it to you now, hurry!"

The minute Bernstein passed on the key code to Lambda he eagerly awaited for the door to open, allowing him to leave his prison. Ten seconds passed and Lambda had yet to open them, another ten passed again and Lambda still hadn't. After another with no action Bernstein called over the radio "E.., Excuse me Subject Lambda but is there something wrong?"

Lambda had not budged a muscle since receiving the code; instead he stood there as though expecting something. He was stricken with doubt that he had been allowed to just walk in to this room with no trouble, or that there had been not a peep from Neumann, and then suddenly…

"Augh, cease in your stride Alpha Series, or do you think we are finished with this game."

"Yep," Lambda had guessed right, hearing Neumann boast on queue. He turned around to face the man whose face appeared on the large television screen "I knew you weren't going to let it end just yet. I'm guessing this where you let loose the Big Daddies you've been holding back for the final brawl?"

"The final event is about to commence proud gladiator, for you see I've been keeping in reserve the true warriors of the arena," Neumann bragged with some smug pride.

"I just said that, fuck I wish I could speak!" Lambda groaned; both in thought and wail.

"I must commend you though Alpha Series on your strength, effort and resilience, and of course your drive in coming this far. Perhaps I am being a bit too hasty in bringing upon you your demise; Tartarus is after all the place where warriors like you battle for glory and our entertainment. And your victories over those you have vanquished already I have watched with amusement and satisfaction.

They show promise, perhaps enough to consider you worthy of the gladiatorial ring. But there is one final trial for you to overcome before I even do."

From the corridor Lambda had entered came the sounds of heavy footsteps approaching, he raised the Gatling gun knowing however it had long run out of ammo and he was without any extra rounds to reload. The shotgun itself was of no use to him, earlier after firing all shells it then served as melee club. Pity it wasn't as durable as the hammer he still carried.

From the exit on his left he heard approaching another set of heavy footsteps. He checked the oil pressure gauge on his drill and saw it had run dry. He could still swing it at whatever walked; for all the good it would do him though.

From the exit on his right he then heard not footsteps but squeaky wheels rolling. All the Eve syringes he carried were empty, leaving just the tiniest amount that was inside his veins, not enough he realised for any of his effective Plasmids to be even used once. One jolt of electricity maybe, but still nothing that was lethal.

The footsteps and squeaking got louder as they got nearer, Lambda held his ground regardless of the situation. With nothing to fight with and against three of the strongest Big Daddies, the odds of coming out of this were stacked against him. On an upside though he still had four grenades left from the bag-full he'd picked up earlier, maybe perhaps he could take one down before the other two took him.

He watched as the first one stomped its way in to the room, rather than have the usual obese hunchback posture of the Bouncer that many of the other prototypes had had, this one stood tall with the same build as the Rosie; possibly an earlier model. Its helmet however which was mounted on a neck brace was spherical with four large portholes laid out in cross formation. There was a massive steel plate that rose up behind the helmet and curved over above it.

Its arms which were wrapped in steel plating were raised by the elbows and aimed at Lambda. It held no such weapon as it had no hands to grasp any, and instead mounted on the ends of the gauntlets it wore was each a scratch built Gatling gun. Each was fed by an ammunition belt that were connected to an ammunition drum fixed to its chest

It marched with its arms still raised and aimed at Lambda, stopping just twelve meters away from him, holding position with a clear shot. Unable to shoot back his only option was to rush it and unleash a full fury of melee attacks with the drill and sledge hammer. He'd be running straight in to its line of fire and get pummelled by a volley of rapidly fired rounds that would inflict damage, but there was still the armour he wore.

Up to this point the damage inflicted was now cause for alarm. The plates fitted on to him were barely holding together and one direct rapid round would be enough to crack or knock a few loose, but enough still to protect him in one mad rush to bring it down. That would have worked if and only if it was him and the Turtle; his nickname for it.

He hadn't forgotten about the other footsteps approaching from his left, they lumbered in to the room, loader and heavier than the Turtle. Unlike the Turtle that wore the common leathery diving suit, this one was encased within a steel atmospheric one worn by some of the other prototypes he had encountered earlier. It stood tall and upright with a large steel enforced helmet that bore three large vertical portholes.

Its ball jointed arms turned and swayed with some form of mechanical motion while three hook like claws on the end of each arm that served as its appendages twitched slightly. They seemed hardly capable of threatening Lambda; let alone holding a gun of any type. Yet still it was armed with two custom built Gatling guns attached on to the sides of its oversized head.

With horn like ornaments it wore, Lambda chose to give it a nick-name such as the Ox. No sense though in calling it the Bull as the Bouncer prototype he dropped a few floors down earlier had earned that name by adorning a more authentic set of steel horns. It too held a distance of twelve meters from Lambda with him in its sights.

Finally he looked in the direction of the squeaking wheels and watched in anticipation for what was to roll in on them. When it did he knew not what to think; was it meant as a joke. Or had Neumann just exhausted every Big Daddy in his arsenal, and was reduced to throwing at him the real rejects.

Slowly in to the room rolled a wheel chair, reinforced to support the weight of a Big Daddy that sat upon it. It was another Alpha Series; one that wore an alternate spherical shaped diving helmet. Unlike the other two it still had the use of its own hands but not its legs to walk with. From the knees down they were severed from its body; hence the reason why it used this odd means of mobility.

No surprise to Lambda it was also armed with a Gatling Gun; one large one that was built in to a steel body cast it wore. Each side of the gun had a handle of some type for both its hands to grasp and a trigger for each index finger to wrap around, ammo was fed from a magazine crate that lay upon its lap.

Seeing that its hands busied themselves with handling the gun directed Lambda's attention to the wheelchair's wheels that he then realised were moving all by themselves. There wasn't anyone standing behind it, or any kind of motor that he could see that drove it. Thus leading to the theory that the chair's movement was caused by some form of telekinesis the Alpha with the wrong shaped head possessed.

Not sure on what to name this oddly yet dangerously armed opponent he then went with just the simple name; The Chariot. As with the first two it stopped just twelve meters away from him with the same tactical aim.

All three stood before Lambda, the Turtle in the centre, the Ox standing on his front left side and the Chariot standing ground on his front right. While he himself stood in both direct line and cross fire. All three had him in their line of sight with their guns poised and ready, neither seeming intimidated by him as they outgunned and outnumbered him. He stood vigilant and held his ground, never trying to duck for cover or make any wrong move that would provoke them to fire.

Together their combined fire power was enough to finish him before he could even get close to one. He had nothing fire back with and nothing to viciously strike with as well, he was both defenceless and armless, leaving him wondering what were they waiting for.

The awkward silence that was present was broken as Neumann then continued from where he left off.

"Ah yes, feast your eyes upon them Alpha Series, quite a menacing lot aren't they. As I explained when you first arrived, Tartarus was home to the Titans following their defeat at the hands of the Olympians and their exile in to that hellish prison that lay beneath the kingdom of Hades. As you now stand in the presence of three it is only fair that I introduce you to them. Before you stands Oceanus," Neumann referred to the Turtle "To your left, Hyperion," he then addressed the Ox before finally naming the Chariot "And finally to your right, Lapetus."

"I think I'll stick with my names, easier to remember," Lambda responded in thought.

"They make quite the formidable trio, I doubt you could win against their combined power, perhaps if you were to face them one on one you may possibly prevail. But then would that truly be a challenge to one who has triumphed already against so many, especially with a lack of means to fight with.

I am fully aware of the strategic disadvantage you are at but see no reason to even the odds that would allow that slightest bit of chance for you to succeed. True warriors make the most of what little they have in these situations and it is what tests and prove their strength, their cunning, and their luck. Will your luck hold out this time?"

At this point Lambda really regretted not being able to speak, he'd answer Neumann's question, not just to wipe the smug look of the arrogant bastards face, but also to play for time as he was still stumped on what to do. The trio had all exits covered and there was nowhere else for him to take cover.

He continued aiming the Gatling gun in a futile attempt to warn of the so-called Titans, randomly pointing it at each. Yet still futile it was as he considered this was where it was going to end for him after having reached his goal. The best way to go out however he thought would be to at least still die trying to take one of them with him; probably the Turtle.

Yet to his surprise Neumann offered him a proposal "You know it is ironic, until your arrival not a single gladiatorial duel had been fought in Tartarus. The arena was complete and the gladiators ready, waiting for the day when the coliseum would open and Rapturians from all over would come to be thrilled and entertained.

Yet that day never came, Tartarus remained closed and surrounded by half built structures that would never see the light of day," Neumann then began rattle his fingers as then grinned with anxiety "Yet these past few hours have seen action, excitement, and bloodshed, but none of it within the arena where it should have been. And all with not a single crowd member to witness and remember any of it."

Neumann sat back in his chair as he then relaxed "And now all the Titans of Tartarus lie dead, with just a few and the remaining rejects left to entertain a crowd that will never grace these halls with a hunger for violence and death. And I doubt even Ryan will bother to send any new contenders.

So, I offer you this proposal Alpha Series. Disarm and surrender, abandon your mission to rescue Bernstein and leave that whimpering worm to rot in his hole like those pathetic sagging meat sacks you chose to spare earlier. Join the ranks of the Gladiators, become a Titan if you will and live out your existence here in Tartarus."

Neumann went on further as he attempted to persuade Lambda "What awaits outside these walls for you, what would you do should you somehow escape with Bernstein, go back to Rapture? There is nothing for you there, but here you will have purpose, here you will have respect and glory. Decide now but do not folly, I will allow you a moment to do so."

The large monitor screen went black and Lambda stood alone with his thoughts and the fearsome three for company. He barely had time to think it over when his radio wailed and Bernstein who had held his tongue during Neumann's proposition finally spoke "Umm Subject Lambda, I heard everything Neumann said to you and… honestly I just don't know what to say in this matter. I am somewhat distraught of the possibility that you may accept his proposal, and I sadly have nothing to offer you so as not to consider his proposal.

This man has taken everything I ever held dear and now that the prospect of escape draws near, it comes as no surprise that he would pull something like this just to torment me further. I just can't understand why he just doesn't kill me and send me on my way to join my family" Bernstein took a breather before saying his final words to Lambda "I now see no reason anymore to go on and so will not say anything else that may affect your choice, do what you must and thank you Lambda,"

Lambda's radio went silent, and then the monitor flashed back on "Oh that miserable prick doesn't half talk shit. But he is right; it is a mystery even to me why I haven't simply killed him yet. Maybe I do enjoy tormenting him. But enough of him, back to us, what is your answer?"

"What now…? I haven't even had time yet to…"

"What is your answer Alpha Series?" Neumann continued to ask.

"Alright, alright already," Lambda answered abruptly as he turned for a moment to Bernstein's holdout before turning back to the dreaded three "I've already made my decision."

Slowly the gun and drill that were still drawn were then lowered as he prepared to disarm. Carefully he placed first the Gatling gun down on to the floor; next he then disarmed the drill and placed it as well on the ground

"Excellent Alpha Series, I am pleased that you have that right amount of intelligence to realise how folly it would be to resist and to take the opportunity when it is offered to you," Neumann commented, satisfied that Lambda was complying. As soon as the drill lay on the floor with the gun Neumann then directed his attention to the grenades "Now the explosives you still carry, and let's not forget that hammer as well"

Slowly the bag of grenades that was slung over Lambda's right shoulder was removed; he placed them not far from his right and then pulled free from him his belt the hammer. Before letting it dropped to the floor he toyed with it for a bit, gently swaying it in his hand to amuse the three so called Titans.

He held it at the bottom end of the handle in his right hand and aimed it first at the Ox "Look see I'm getting rid of it," next he pointed to the Turtle "look, getting rid of it," pointed next to the Chariot "Look see…". As he continued pointing it at the Chariot, gently swaying it left and right. He looked at the Ox who seemed focused on it after confirming the Turtle itself was distracted as was the Chariot "Yep, you three aren't exactly the brightest lot," he thought as their attention had drifted.

Yet the whole time he had them trained on the hammer, he had hid his left hand behind his back that grasped cold air emitting from it. As his sways got wider so did the density of ice particles emanating from his hand till finally he made his move. Before the Ox knew it Lambda doused it in a blizzard of ice that froze it stiff, that last bit of Eve that still coursed through his veins was poured in to one last but effective means to incapacitate one opponent.

The second the Turtle became aware of what had happened it attempted to open fire on Lambda, but instead lumbered a few feet back as the sledge hammer that was thrown across the room struck it hard in the head, leaving it temporarily dazed.

With two opponents temporarily incapacitated he then bolted straight for the Chariot. It fired relentlessly at Lambda, impacting on the armour and inflicting damage that begun causing it to break apart, luckily it held out long enough for him to run up and get behind it. Not giving it a chance to swing around and unleash another volley at point-blank range, Lambda quickly took it out by slamming the sides of his fists in to each side of its helmet and crushing its head, its porthole cracked open as blood splattered out through it.

With it now dead Lambda tore free its Gatling gun built, removed next the ammunition crate on its lap and left in its place the bag of grenades he had quickly scooped back up when charging it. Pulling the pin on one he then sent it rolling across the room in its chair straight in to the Ox that had just broken free of the ice.

The Ox stumbled back from the collision and collapsed on to its back while the Chariot was flung from the wheelchair and fell on top of it. The bag of grenades that had laid in its lap had also been thrown upon the Ox and now lay nicely snug between the two, right before the one that lambda had pulled the pin on ignited the rest. The Chariot rose just a few inches in to the air as the confined explosion tore open both their guts.

Lambda meanwhile didn't squander time watching the outcome; he dived for cover behind one of the six pillars just as the Turtle recovered and shot at him. It fired a quick volley at the concrete roof support attempting to score one hit. Lambda realised though one shot was all that was needed for one armour plate to fall off.

As soon as it let up he broke cover and fired back with the Chariot's Gatling gun, the Turtle lacking the intelligence or speed to seek cover for itself was a still target for Lambda's barrage of hot lead. He poured every bullet in to his relentless onslaught until the gun was firing empty

Ammo depleted he tossed it aside and rushed the Turtle that was still stood yet had taken quite a pounding. Not enough that it managed to fire a few rounds that the armour failed this time to hold out to, but his speed and endurance made all the difference.

Once in range he grabbed both the Turtle's arms and aimed its guns safely away from him. The Turtle already heavily injured lacked any strength to struggle and could do nothing but watch as Lambda tore from its arms the Gauntlets it wore with the Gatling guns built on to the ends. The Turtle flung its arms aimlessly at the realisation that it had been literally disarmed, to add insult to injury Lambda then crushed both gauntlets in his hands while his boot slammed in to its chest and knocked it down.

It lay on its back, lazily waving its arms in the air, Lambda saw it had no hands on the end but instead torn tendrils and ripped nerve tissue. It was down now, helpless and never getting back up. He tossed by its side its crushed gauntlets and turned away, tearing off some of the body armour that was either damaged or already falling off.

He removed what covered his chest and left arm while he passed the mounted bodies of the Chariot and the Ox; the latter still alive but worse off than the Turtle as it lay dying. Upon retrieving his weapons he found that the Gatling gun had been damaged from stray bullets fired from the Turtle after being struck in the head from the tossed sledge hammer; which he realised he hadn't bothered to retrieve it from wherever it lay.

The drill meanwhile had been spared such an inconvenience and was still fully operational; but unless there was a refuel station anywhere in the room it was just dead weight. Just like the Gatling gun that upon inspecting further he deemed too far gone to be of any use and so discarded it.

Taking a brief moment to nurse his injures from the gun shots he was suddenly applauded by slow but loud clapping as he turned to back the large monitor screen in the room.

"Bravo… Bravo, Subject Lambda," Neumann calmly congratulated, even addressing him by his name "For a moment I honestly believed you were going to submit to my terms, but you sly dog. You had one last card to play, and well played it was. This last and final brawl has been your most exhilarating and satisfying one to watch, full of surprises, mayhem and bloodshed.

Had this lot had half the intelligence you have the may have seen through your deceit, and it has cost them dearly.

Even with the odds stacked against you and in a situation as hopeless as yours you've still demonstrated my point; what makes a true warrior; power, cunning and luck. My desire for you to remain here and fight as the top reigning champion of the ring has all but been elevated all the way to the surface. I pray even that you will still consider it, but alas I feel you will not. And let's not forget that a deal is a deal, Gladiators don't just fight for glory or the crowd's amusement, but also for their freedom, which brings us to a matter discussed earlier. "

Lambda then watched as Neumann's hand with the three gold rings reached for a control console by his side and grasped a switch "As we agreed, your goal was to reach Bernstein, and as promised…" Neumann then flicked the switch and suddenly a siren then wailed throughout Tartarus.

An automatic announcement then followed "Alert, alert, Tartarus lockdown now being lifted. Repeat, Tartarus lockdown now being lifted. Thank you for your cooperation.

"The lockdown as you have heard has ended, Tartarus is now open for you to come and go as you please. So you are free to leave with that worm that I couldn't care less what befalls him, so long as he no longer comes back," he leaned forward from his arm chair he sat at towards the camera that broadcast his image over the large monitor. Shadow still hid his face but Lambda could make out the bald headed scalp of his round shaped head and the skinny outline of his body clothed within a simple suit and tie. He continued on "Go now, and take Bernstein. I will not hinder nor oppose your departure. But never return for you will not be welcomed here or be offered my proposition again. Farewell Lambda; Champion of Tartarus."

The screen went blank as the announcement of the lockdown's release was over. Lambda meanwhile griped "No job is worth having to listen to that bullshit you spew," not wasting a second for Neumann to suddenly have a change of heart, Lambda again approached the steel doors of Bernstein's confine and punched in the override code. The doors were raised open and Lambda finally came face to face with the cause of all the trouble he had gone through.

Bernstein finally stood before him, looking so god damn humble and grateful for all his effort and stride. His face that had a rather stupid expression seemed to suit his annoying sappy mannerisms.

He held both his hands as he over emotionally thanked Lambda "It is a pleasure indeed to finally meet you Subject Lambda. I apologise again for doubting you as I believed for a moment you really intended to forsake me. But you've proven I feel another quality within you; your nobility. Perhaps Neumann himself has seen this in you too and it is because of your example that perhaps he is allowing us to leave.

But enough said I feel, lets us finally depart subject Lambda and bid riddance to retched place."

Bernstein then waited for Lambda to make some kind of response, but the whole time he had babbled Lambda had stood still and continued to do so "So without any further delay we should leave Subject Lambda… Subject Lambda?"

Bernstein's words once again fell on deaf ears while Lambda who continued to ignore him stared instead at Bernstein's hands for a short while and then leaned a little to his left to stare at something at the far back of the room. Bernstein too looked over his shoulder to see what was of more interest than getting under way. Aside from a simple chair he had sat in and had watched Lambda's progress on a monitor screen there was nothing else there.

He then looked back at Lambda whose gaze was back to his bony hands that still grasped one another. Releasing both he swung both palms apart while Lambda kept his gaze on his right one. Bernstein wondered what was so damn odd about his hand; he had no odd moles or scars on it. He wore jewellery but was there anything wrong about a man wearing three gold rings on his…

He looked back over his shoulder and saw now Lambda had noticed that the chair was an arm chair he had seen before with a somewhat familiar control console. He turned back to Lambda and realised as he calmly removed his toupee that he had sussed it. His skinny, gangly body dressed in a simple suit and tie and rounded bold head was also he realised too an obvious giveaway. Suddenly his humble gangly pose vanished as he stood with a posture of confidence and pride, the stupid look in his face vanished with a glee of sly smugness which was then followed with an all too familiar tone.

"Well, I guess your smarter than I gave you credit earlier, though I did hope I could keep up the ruse for just a bit longer. But of course at some point this charade would have had to end soon, I figure now is probably a good enough time," he raised his hand and stared at the three gold rings on his hand "Putting my own carelessness and underestimating your intelligence aside it doesn't take a genius to guess what at this moment is coursing through that malformed head of yours."

"You're fucking Neumann!" Lambda accused in thought while pointing his arm at Bernstein.

"No, no my name is and always has been Albert Bernstein," he turned away from Lambda, striding around the room with his arms folded behind his back "And everything I told you about my family; their grisly murder and the name of the guilty party involved is all true. Except for one thing, I didn't come here seeking revenge against the man responsible for my pain and loss. I came much earlier to prepare Tartarus for his execution when he would finally walk in through the front gates. And a long wait it has been," he turned to Lambda and then addressed him by a new alias "Hasn't it Neumann?"

"What?" that sudden revelation left Lambda more confused than shocked, yet a shock was what he got next from behind as he was suddenly struck by a continuous jolt of electricity that literally brought him to his knees.

He groaned in agony and tried to overcome the intense pain in order to recover. But another jolt weakened him further that he was now struggling to stand on all fours. Bernstein who grinned with malicious delight placed his index and middle finger against his left temple and began to move the flesh there in circular motions.

As the electrocutions finally stopped, Lambda felt another sort of agonising pain that made his head feel it was on fire, just before he finally collapsed and blacked out. Bernstein ceased his fidgeting and looked at Lambda's attacker; the black Alpha Series that had stood next to him in one of his earlier appearances on screen and had been absent in his last one.

It disarmed itself of the weapon it had used to immobilise Lambda and equipped itself next with the same type of drill Lambda had recently acquired. Raising it in the air it revved it on full power and then slowly walked towards him; as though to savour the moment. It stood over him and was about to thrust it through his back when Neumann who had been massaging his brow suddenly snapped too.

"Cerberus halt!" Cerberus, its name did so on command and stared at Bernstein "No, if I wished him dead I would have had him killed the moment he had set foot here. No, we will proceed with the intended plan," behind Cerberus stood two rejects that he next commanded "Make the preparations."

The two obeyed and left the Bookie's room while Bernstein turned to the unconscious Lambda "Gladiatorial fights were also a means to execute criminals you know, so I think it safe to assume that Tartarus will at last have its first arena fight. One which will have an audience as well, and speaking of which," thrown before him were Malcolm and Travis who had been escorted by an Alpha and one of the round helmeted ones. They lay grovelling before Bernstein "Ah gentlemen, you played your part well, though you…" he referred to Malcolm "Should really stick to keeping his mouth shut."

Malcolm kneeling on all fours really took those words to heart as Bernstein's mood then changed from calm rage to eager encouragement "Now boys up on your feet," he directed their attention to Lambda "You know the drill of course," he then walked away with Cerberus following while laughing at the sarcasm of what he had just said. For a minute he looked at the fallen Titans and gloated "If he thought they were the real Gladiators, oh wait till I get him in the arena."

**Okay, sorry this took so long to write. Got a bit stumped on how Lambda was to deal with the three Big Daddies with hardly anything to fight with, I even tried to think of a way he would win without any Eve. The 'Deadly Three' were based on earlier Big Daddy drawings featured in a Bioshock Art Deco book. Another thing I had trouble was both the dialogue of Bernstein and Neumann, I wanted it to be longer and not too brief and standard.**

**I did plan after finishing this to add two more segments of more dialogue earlier in this chapter featuring the two that better detailed the murder and their thoughts on the matter. But instead I just wanted to get this chapter finished.**

**Hopefully only three more chapters are left to write before this is finally finished. **


	8. Chapter 8

**The Arena**

Screaming and blood, again the vision of violence and murder plagued his subconscious. The woman pleading for her life while her children lay dead from enraged brutality. And a vision of men looking over him, wearing lab coats, and then one holding a syringe in his hand with the needle pointed right at him with the hard to ear words "Here's a little something," and then everything went bright.

…

Lights from the ceiling flew over Lambda's head as he awoke and found himself bound to an upturned stretcher bed while being rolled through a hallway by three Reject Daddies. At first he attempted to break free of his restraints, but his efforts proved futile as the steel shackles held firm.

As he ceased to conserve his strength he looked forward and saw walking before him two reject Daddies and a pair of Alphas; all following another that was entirely black; Cerberus. He himself lumbered behind an all too familiar bold headed skinny man who soon became aware that Lambda was awake.

"Ah Neumann, awake at last I see."

Immediately Lambda attempted once more to break free and mangle Bernstein but to no avail, he was so enraged at the way he had been played yet could do could nothing, not even be heard "I'm gonna ring your neck you sick little freak for the crap you put me through!"

"Dear me Neumann, are we feeling a little upset because somebody has to face the god awful truth about themselves?" Bernstein mocked with malice "Or because they were simply fooled by the very person they wronged in the most unforgivable way?"

"I still can't believe I'm who you say I am," Lambda thought in denial "It must be a mistake, it has to be."

"Oh I can assure you Neumann, everything I've said is true. Need further convincing looked to your dreams; or are they memories _screaming_ to resurface."

"Wait…?" the second Bernstein mentioned screaming it started to kick in. The screaming he had been hearing in his head, the violent and bloody dream he had in the workshop. Was it possible, was it really true, did really do it? At first he wasn't sure how to react to this sudden revelation; be shocked, feel guilty. Or have a more negative response; revel with callus pride and sick depravity if he did commit such an act.

"Ah yes the truth is suddenly there Neumann," mocked Bernstein, yet Lambda was suddenly conflicted over something other that had bothered him during his march to the upper floor.

"How the hell do you know what I'm thinking, you can't just be reading my mind?"

Looking over his shoulder at Lambda, Bernstein brought everyone to a halt and instructed one of the Reject Daddies in front to face Lambda, revealing a machine it carried. Built in to it was a monitor with various isoelectric lines pulsating on its screen.

"This machine here monitors brain waves, yours to be precise," Bernstein explained "It was built to monitor your thought patterns and provide a means of interpreting your behaviour and mood. Each line that represents various thought patterns has its own unique beep, and I've memorised each one so I know by sound whether you're angry, curious or suspicious."

"Well if that's true Bernstein then interpret this, why am I still alive and what do you have planned for me?" Lambda directed his thoughts to him "Because if I'm the monster you say I am then just kill me and get it over with. Though really I don't see why I should feel guilt for a crime I can't even remember."

A series of bleeps emitted from the device the Reject Daddy carried, ones that Bernstein easily interpreted "In due time Neumann, for you see there is reason why I have gone to all this trouble to lure you here," He then instructed everyone to move on as he continued briefing Lambda "After your trial and incarceration in to Persephone prison you were then picked to become a candidate for the Big Daddy conversion, I however was not satisfied with the results and pleaded with Ryan to hand out a sterner sentence.

My obsession with making you pay became such an irritation for the man that in the end he presented a solution for the both of us. He assigned me the job of managing Tartarus once it was complete, in return for accepting this position he promised that the first contender to fight in the arena would be you. All I had to do was wait for it to be built, the minute it was air-tight I then moved here and got settled so I could personally make the preparations for your arrival.

After it was completed last December all the staff and workers left for the upcoming New Years Eve celebrations, only I and a few remained. Then came the rioting that set off the civil war. After that everything came to a halt, curfews were put in place and lock downs prevented anyone coming or going; not that I minded as I had kind of taken to the place. But the rest that were trapped here couldn't and as they lost their minds over it I lost patience with them.

But as I was saying, everything got put on hold, including your transfer here. But I waited too long, sacrificed too much to be denied vengeance, so doing what I do best I made a nuisance of myself to Ryan in pleading with him to hold up his end of the bargain.

Eventually he arranged for you to be taken out of storage, prepped and then be dispatched here, even if you had to walk it yourself."

"And now that I'm here, what now? Why the charade while I'm asking?" Lambda questioned.

"Prior to your arrival, I thought I would have some fun with you first. You see once you arrived there would be the problem of getting you to the upper floor where the Coliseum is. I could have arranged for a welcoming committee to escort you but I think we both know how that would have played out.

So instead I concocted this little ruse all for you convenience; and my amusement. Upon awakening you were mentally conditioned to journey here yourself and attempt to rescue me, but by then all of Ryan's top science staff were either dead or spliced out of their minds. And I had to settle for rank amateurs who if I was lucky would manage getting you to set foot within Tartarus before your conditioning had worn off.

When it did you did exactly what I expected, you attempted to leave and abandon me. Which is why I initiated the lockdown when you chose to vacate Tartarus, and as Neumann; or should I say 'you'. Presented you with the only ultimatum of escape; the challenge reaching me as Bernstein, which of course you succeeded in."

"And when I did what then if I hadn't already sussed your little sick game?" Lambda questioned as the machine bleeped and beeped.

"I'm glad though that you saw through my little deceit the minute we met face to face, I don't think I could have stomached playing such a spineless, sappy, whimpering worm if you will."

"Oh really, I think it suits you Bernstein."

"Hard to believe though but at a time I was very much like that," Bernstein bragged as he then started to trail off from the subject "Ah my dear wife, she would often comment and even criticise me on these weak little characteristics of mine, bless her soul. I promised her I would improve and better myself so be a husband and father she and our children could both respect and admire. And I did, I built up my confidence and grew some backbone.

Then I came home and found what you had done, what you had left for me to fined. And my new found strength vanished as I suffered a breakdown. But hatred is a good way to find new strength and purpose in life. And my purpose Neumann is to punish you most severely."

"What, having me fight every throwback in this place wasn't punishment enough?" Lambda griped.

"I have to be honest," Bernstein bragged with smugness "My anxiety for vengeance did nearly jeopardise my plans for you. I knew I was taking a risk sending all those earlier models out too attack you as there was always the chance you'd be killed before you even set foot in the arena Neumann. But aside from the satisfaction I got from seeing you having to fend off everyone , your triumphs as I pointed earlier only assured me of how much of an opponent you'd be for the real Gladiators waiting for you in the ring. And I've saved the very best for you."

"Don't expect much of a show Bernstein, because I'm not gonna play your stupid game," Lambda thought in defiance.

Eventually they came to a door labelled 'Gladiator Repair Shop' "Despite how much I hate and despise you it would be unsporting to send you out there in the state you're in. I mean after all, the viewers will be expecting a grand match of carnage and excitement, which I intend to deliver on."

"Viewers?" Lambda quizzed with a bleep from the machine.

"Oh didn't I mention, I'm televising the whole arena match throughout all of Rapture. Tartarus will have its first ever broadcast, and you will be its star contender," Bernstein boasted with pride and enthusiasm "You know it is ironic, history looks back and considers the Roman Gladiatorial games to be one of the most brutal and savage ways to entertain a crowd. Yet they were also a means to punish and execute criminals such as yourself, perfect don't you think as the ideal method to administer your sentence of death.

And only here in Rapture is such a thing possible again. I won't lie, I will enjoy watching you standing out there, fighting for your miserable life with the knowledge that you will not prevail this time. You will fall and you will die, and I will finally have satisfaction and retribution for what you did and took from me."

Upon entering the repair shop they were greeted by six Alpha Series; each armed with the same type of stun gun that had been used on Lambda earler. Present also were two familiar pitiful faces that Lambda recognised, both Malcolm and Travis stood cowering with tools in their hands and a whole lot of gear and equipment to work with.

"Ah I believe you know Malcolm and Travis," Bernstein noted as he reintroduced the two to Lambda "It was lucky they were on hand when you took damage, plus I figured it couldn't hurt to have them prep and equip you so as to keep things interesting. I would ask and try and determine why it was you never killed them, but I shan't bother and be thankful that they are again available to prep you once more for the arena."

"I won't fight," Lambda thought in defiance.

"Yes you will," Bernstein responded sternly to the bleep while pointing with his finger "You'll be out there fighting as though your life depends on it, which it will, Survival is the one instinct that has been engraved upon your depraved mind, and it's why you won't hesitate to defend yourself anyway you can. So don't think you're going to cheat me out of my means of revenge."

Bernstein then turned to Malcolm and Travis "Get to work you two," Cerberus who had come up behind the gangly duo nudged them hard to comply while Bernstein made for the door but turned once more to Lambda "Oh Neumann, don't try anything stupid, otherwise there will be a repeat of what happened in the bookies hall," he directed Lambda to the stun guns the Alphas held "One way or another you will be setting foot in that arena, even if I have to put your lights out once more just to get you out there, and I promise you won't have the benefits I'm willing to provide you with ."

Bernstein turned away and spoke to Cerberus next "I leave you in charge, see to it he does make it out there," he then made one final glare to Lambda "Be happy Neumann, in a few minutes all of Rapture will know your name, you'll be a T.V. star sensation."

"I can hardly wait Bernstein," Lambda thought with sarcasm.

"Well I have to get things ready for everyone, I did plan originally on having the Coliseum filled with spectators to marvel at this event, but since that is no longer possible I'll stick with my alternate plan on broadcasting the whole thing throughout Rapture. So everyone can see you're demise Neumann. I should be grateful to Ryan for somehow supplying the camera crew to handle the broadcast, plus I promised it would be worth his trouble just to have something good on the air. And let us be honest, it has been a while since anything was."

He then left not bothering to interpret the bleeps from Lambda's thoughts "Oh if I ever get my hands on you I'll give the populace something good to watch."

He then stood there still restrained while Malcolm and Travis cautiously approached him, as they hesitantly fiddled with Lambda's restraints; Cerberus came up behind them and shoved them aside as he held his drill tip aimed at Lambda's head "I don't think you and I were properly introduced, Cerberus correct. Malcolm here told me to watch out for you, but I can't see what the hell he was threating about," he mocked.

Cerberus knowing from the machine still present in the room revved his drill on full power that was just inches away from Lambda's porthole as a means to intimidate and warn him what to expect should there be trouble.

Lambda however was not the least bit scared "Yeahhh… you just loosen these bonds and hand me my drill with a full tank of gas and we'll see who's the real Alpha male around here," Cerberus however merely ceased his actions and glared with a growl up close before backing away and pressuring Malcolm and Travis to work.

Lambda though still couldn't let off on the sarcasm directed at Cerberus "So how'd a guy like you end being that toad Bernstein's lapdog?" a harsh growl from Cerberus however convinced him to finally lay off on the taunts "Never mind."

As soon as Lambda's was free of his bonds he stepped away from the stretcher bed while every Alpha in the room poised their stun gun on him. Not wanting to experience another blackout as before he allowed Malcolm and Travis to get closer and do their work. They patched up where he had been shot in the Bookies and then attached all new body armour that seemed more impervious and better crafted than the one they fitted him earlier.

Travis who felt he was going to feel Lambda's fist pounding in to his head decided to make small talk and clear the air of any ill feelings Lambda was harbouring "Hey man, so you made it all the way huh, good for you," Travis then assumed that his eyes were glaring back at him with an accusation he dared not deny "Yeah, we knew all along what he had planned," he referred to Bernstein's deceit and intentions for Lambda "Showed up at our place before you arrived with him over there," he referred next to Cerberus who stood vigilant "And it wasn't for a social call, didn't give us much choice, didn't even offer us any proper or decent food for our part in this. Just that if we even let slip on the name he'd severe both our arms and legs and serve them to us with lettuce. At least we'd be getting something that wasn't meat," he then chuckled at his own bleak sarcasm.

As they finished fitting the last of the armour, Lambda noticed that they had attached to his left arm some kind of mechanical device that had built in to it a large hand held steel fan that he enquired to Travis about.

"Something they built for the Spartan model, pray Bernstein hasn't got one waiting out in the arena for you. It supposed to open up in to a shield that will repel rapid gunfire, may even hold up to blunt melee attacks."

They then presented to Lambda his drill they supplied him earlier, fully fuelled and fine-tuned for his big fight ahead. They also brought fourth another modified Gatling gun, yet this one was grasped by some robotic arm similar to something you'd see in an automated factory assembly line.

Rolling the whole lot on a trolley they brought it behind Lambda and easily fitted the other end of the arm apparatus in to some kind of socket built in to the life support gear on Lambda's back that he had been fully unaware of. Once connected Lambda found that he could move the whole mechanical arm by reflex as though he had a third long limb growing out of his back; a limb holding a gun.

Travis explained the whole thing was part of some experiment that Lambda had apparently been a test subject in prior to his dispatch to Tartarus. As development in advanced artificial limbs for amputees progressed; the likes of which never seen on the surface, the team behind the Big Daddies saw new opportunities in the technology.

Wired in to the nerve tissue the sockets allowed an apparatuses equipped with whatever tool or weaponry to be plugged in to them for whatever purposes. Whether it be construction, maintaining Raptures itself or simply heightening their menacing form and lethalness in the face of danger when protecting whatever Little Sister they were out and about with.

Lambda learnt further that these experiments were not a success as many of the Alpha Series test subjects developed problems in controlling the limbs either because of shoddy production in the sockets, or mainly due to the connections not sitting right in the Alpha's nerves that also caused pain and irritation, resulting next in violence and unprovoked aggression.

But in cases such as Lambda which was rare though the experiment was a success, yet still these minor triumphs didn't warrant further funding and progress in development. Otherwise whether the lab boys did get this project off the ground those that succeeded the Alpha would have been sprouting more limbs than a damn squid or octopus.

Next they provided Lambda with a custom built shotgun that had worked in to it the function of automatic pump reload, it was fitted in to a gun holster they attached to his left side. Finally the last item they brought before him was a hammer-like melee weapon larger and more durable than his absent sledge hammer. As Lambda held it he learnt from Travis that the handle could extend to allow better grip in combat. He then placed it in to some kind of quiver on his back to carry it, freeing his left hand to dispense his Plasmids; or so he thought.

Without any warning Malcolm who was holding a syringe that Lambda had not noticed injected him with its contents and immediately he felt his whole body overcome with minor fatigue and muscle spasms. He reached for the bald headed skinny runt and pulled him forward.

"What the fuck did you just do to me?" he demanded though with nothing than his aggravated wail.

Travis however intervened by grabbing his arm "Wow, wow, ease off man alright! It's not his fault; we're just doing what Bernstein told us to!" Lambda for the moment ceased shaking the terrified bald prat and glared at Travis to explain "Bernstein's don't want things _too_ easy for you, so he decided to limit your Plasmids. Right now that shit we just pumped you with is supressing them, you'll still have use of your standard ones; you know Electro Shock, Inferno and Winter Blast.

But anything else like those new ones we gave are pretty much dead inside you. I don't know really, it could just be temporarily but it will last all through the arena. If you're lucky you may still manage to muster at least one for each before the suppressant fully kicks in."

The news only lowered Lambda's optimism on his chances of survival "Well that's just fucking great," he then griped to himself.

The last thing the two finally did was attach a flask full of Eve on to his back and connected the feeding tube from it in to his veins.

"You got enough here now for six refills, just try not to let it get damaged or smashed clean from your back," Travis instructed.

With that said the two backed away to marvel with little enthusiasm at the work, but instead they just stared pitifully at their feet while fidgeting with their hands. Travis in his low esteem tone spoke "Well that's it man, nothing more to do. Just for you to make your way out there and survive somehow; I don't know how," he looked up at Lambda "Break a leg out there Lambda, you know literally; break someone's leg."

Lambda just stared at the two, thinking "You're both pathetic and miserable you know that, and you've got real poor taste in food. But then again Bernstein says I'm a depraved killer and possible child rapist, maybe it's why I didn't kill you two earlier. I mean we're both slime stuck in a house full of monsters, and survival is never truer here."

He gave them each a pat on the shoulder to assure them he had no bitterness or grudges to harbour, and was then escorted away by Cerberus and the rest of the Alphas. But before they did Lambda raised his drill proudly and gave a proud wail as he did his best to motion his thoughts "Route for me out there boys, I don't think anyone is else is gonna."

And was then led away to the arena before he even got to here Travis call out "Give em hell out there Lambda."

Travis however spoke his only words he had on the whole matter "He's gonna get slain out there."

"No shit dick head."

…

It was supposed to be an arena, and yet it was the size of a stadium where such sports as football, soccer and even rugby would have been played instead of blood thirsty brawls fought between Titans. Yet he remembered how it first looked when he saw it outside; the massive Coliseum built on top of a building that he stood within. The ground beneath his feet was a large open space the size of a football field, but instead of grass a layer of sand covered the concrete floor.

The whole gladiatorial field was encircled by a twelve foot reinforced wall with rows of chairs for seating spectators placed above it. They ran all around the arena in a tier arrangement; thirty-five rows that rose higher the further they got to the far wall. If Lambda was to guess possibly over five-thousand people could be seated here, yet as Bernstein had claimed the arena was devoid of such an audience. But one claim he did deliver on was the presence of a film crew; stationed all around were ten T.V. cameras manned by a camera man ready to film Lambda and the upcoming Gladiatorial duels live.

As Lambda further examined his surroundings he spotted in the centre of the right side of the arena the V.I.P. box built specially for Ryan and any of the elite class who would attend; pretty much the best seat in the house. And sure enough already settled within it was Bernstein; he gazed snidely behind a glass screen that covered all three sides of the box. He sat not alone as standing ever by his side was Cerberus who had taken leave of Lambda after he had been escorted to the arena entrance.

Present also with the two were three other men Lambda did not recognised. They fiddled with various consoles and switches while the one nearest Bernstein seemed to issue directions to the other two. Lambda guessed that they were part of the film crew and this man was probably the director.

Lambda stared up at the box while Bernstein spoke through a microphone that broadcast his every word throughout the arena "Welcome to the arena Neumann, I feared you would never set foot here. Are you excited, I know I am? This is after all your big moment, and it is just minutes away, how does it feel knowing that it will also be your final moment," he cruelly taunted Lambda.

Lambda's response though was to raise his back mounted appendage and aim the Gatling gun at the box. All three studio men flinched with fear while one ducked for cover. Bernstein while scoffing at the meagre threat calmly scolded the three "Relax you maggots we're perfectly safe," he then spoke back in to the microphone "Yes very intimidating Neumann but such steps were taken in the threat that stray bullets or explosives may sway in this direction," he tapped the glass he stood behind hard with his knuckle "That is why this booth was fully reinforced to withstand such a barrage. We would after all be hosting the top brass of Rapture."

Informed that his actions would only see his few spent rounds put to waste he lowered the gun and then stared at how all the other seats in the house had no such shielding before turning back to Bernstein with a shrug "What, so everyone else in the audience just has to hope every other bullet strays only your way?"

The beeps and bleeps alerted Bernstein to Lambda's thoughts, yet he had no snazzy comeback but more of a sarcastic acknowledgement "Yes… Bear in mind though this was after all built with the intention of only having trivial sporting games played here. And nobody, not even I considered the necessary safety measures needed for when this place would open to the public."

"Thirty seconds until we go live," one of the studio crew informed Bernstein.

"Ah perfect," he responded while ruffling a few sheets of paper in his hand "Have my speech ready and rehearsed," he then addressed Lambda once more "I've been flooding the airwaves with promos of tonight's match so as to give the viewers who have been staring at nothing but static or that annoying 'Please Stand By' notice for the past few months a heads up to keep watching the tube."

"Fifteen seconds," the man said again.

While Bernstein readied himself, the director spoke "After this is over we get to leave here alive right?"

"Fine, just keep in mind though that Rapture Central is only back on the air because of what I've made possible here," Bernstein reminded them "You do wise to remember that."

"I don't like working with your staff," the Director referred nervously to Cerberus who still stood to attention.

"And five, four, three…" as the last two numbers were motioned instead with the studio crewman's hand, Bernstein made his presentation to all of Rapture.

"Greetings fellow Rapturians, I am your host; Albert Bernstein and I welcome all those tuning in for tonight's show. For here at the Rapture Coliseum where we broadcast live to you we will bestow in the arena a most spectacular sporting event of thrills, entertainment, carnage, and justice," that last word Bernstein gritted vindictively while pre-recorded sounds of crowd cheer was played over the arena speakers to create the illusion there was an audience present "Here behind these walls are the most ferocious and powerful Big Daddies ever created for one purpose and one purpose only; to battle in Gladiatorial combat for your sole amusement. Ah but these gladiators will not fight one another, but a challenger; a contender who seeks not glory or rewards. No for this retched soul who stands ready in the arena will fight merely for survival as this match is sentence passed down for a grievous and unforgivable crime that is too sickening and immoral to even reveal over the airwaves."

While the pre-recordings of cheering changed to booing and hissing, Bernstein clicked his fingers at the Director and the man instructed his crew "Camera two," on eight of the monitor screens set up in the V.I.P. Box that received the feed from each T.V. camera, the one numbered two lit green as its feed was fed to every still functioning T.V. and Monitor screen throughout Rapture.

Lambda was introduced to the public with screen time and Bernstein's introduction "Fellow Rapturians, I present to you, the challenger, the accused; Subject Lambda. Or as he was previously known; France Neumann."

The booing intensified as Lambda stood in the arena with no means to speak in his defence, yet he had to wonder; was anyone outside of Tartarus actually watching?

…

All throughout Rapture people of all sorts tuned in for the evening broadcast. Gangs that held whatever turf they occupied all gathered around any television set they had not yet destroyed. Others that roamed the streets and hallways rallied to where ever a large public screen for commercial advertisement showcased the up-coming Gladiatorial game.

They all watched with anxiety as Bernstein's earlier promos had rattled them in to a blood fuelled frenzy. They were promised a fight between Titans; the very Titans that roamed the hallways they occupied and instilled fear and terror should they be stupid as fuck to oppose them. And a fight between these mean metal mothers was what they wanted and was not to be missed. Yet their behaviour was exactly what Bernstein had described. They had an appetite for violence that would be satisfied through legal brutal sporting events and what was shockingly ironic was this type of thing would appeal Roman society centuries ago.

But not all who watched were Splicers; others were families or survivor groups who had dug in deep in to whatever hold-out they could find or fortified whatever grounds they held. They too if fortunate to have the benefit of a T.V. set available watched the televised broadcast, but unlike the Splicers who watched because it was to be bloody, violent and barbaric. Many of them watched as it was a means to relieve the boredom and claustrophobia of their confinement and take their minds of the constant threat and danger of being attacked or raided.

…

Somewhere in Rapture a school that itself had been fortified against such threats offered safety for the small group of survivors that resided within it. Teachers, students and others with vacancies there that was not part of the educational staff who hid behind the safety of the walls gathered in one room where a projector modified to receive and project televised signals projected Tartarus's broadcast. Sure enough their curiosity and delight at having something to watch eased whatever lingering threat of fear and panic stressed their minds.

As they watched, a girl the age of fourteen who wore a black hair band on her shoulder length blond hair entered through a door and without so much an interest in what was happening approached a boy her age who sat glued to the projector screen.

"John what the hell, I thought you said you were going to help me in the kitchen," she snapped not too harshly at him.

The boy who had been startled by the girl's nagging sort to excuse himself so as not to miss the show "S-sorry Mandy but there's something on T.V. and it looks real good. I don't want to miss it."

The girl merely glanced at the screen and still had not interest "No John you are helping me know and that's final."

Her raised voice that interrupted everyone's viewing pleasure prompted one older student present to bark at her "Piped down will ya, Mandy either leave or just sit down and be quiet!"

Frowning she complied and sat next to John while enquiring "So what garbage is this?"

…

Somewhere in Rapture an empty hallway televised Tartarus's broadcast by its own Public T.V. screen. Its only viewer was an eight year old girl with a pair of spectacles on her face that bared also three scalpel inflicted scars upon it. She watched safely seated on the scaffolding above while a boy aged ten who wore nothing other than a pair of baggy shorts, a black leathery glove on his right hand and a black eye patch over his left eye easily scaled the scaffolding towards her and sat down next to her.

He carried a small satchel filled with all sorts of food and drink he had gathered and handed her a bottle of soda pop and a bag of potato chips as they both watched the screen.

…

In a fine and elegantly furnished room a young woman dressed in a ballroom gown sort to ease her boredom of captivity in her luxurious cell by going against her captor or caretaker's will and view what he considered something of no class, brutish and damn right unfitting for a lady of her class and talent.

…

In a dim lit hallway in the presence of such a large public screen a man dressed all in black stood staring at it with his arms folded. Everything he wore was black, his shirt, his tie, his trousers and shoes. Even the black fedora and long black coat that hung just above his ankles was black. He grumbled as he kept a calm pose… "I should be back at my place watching this, not out here having to deal with this ravel," while danger was all around him.

A mob of ten Splicers had him surrounded with the nearest intimidating him with a led pipe. Not contempt even with small talk or missing a second of what was being televised he swung at the man's throat with a concealed blade and then swung at the rest with a sword he somehow carried on him, displaying a flawless skill and technique in swordsmanship. In less than ten seconds he had slain five more while the remaining four each pulled a revolver on him.

Yet quickly without anyone seeing how he replaced the blades he had held with two chrome plated colt pistols and without wasting a second or bullet gunned down all four remaining Splicers before any had fired off a single shot. With his job done he quickly retired to his place hoping to catch the match before it started.

…

Now it is worth mentioning that although the whole populace who watched the broadcast knew only that an Alpha Series was being pitted against a whole mob of never before seen Big Daddies for public entertainment, and couldn't care less why. There were some viewers; three at the most who not only knew the truth of it all but had each played a part in it.

In Hephaestus, the heart of Rapture safely guarded and untouchable in his office, Andrew Ryan, the man of Rapture himself sat at his desk as he viewed the broadcast. He leaned forward resting his elbows on his desk while his raised hands grasped one another. He watched not the slightest bit impressed at the show Bernstein put on while he tut-tutted out loud in his proud tone of voice "This had better be worth the trouble I've gone through for you Bernstein."

…

Somewhere else in Rapture, sitting on his reinforced chair an Elite Rosie sat at his own desk as he too was watching the events live on T.V. While he did he had present a bottle of scotch that he drained with a syringe, he then muttered to himself "Huh, and I thought this was never gonna see the light of day. I don't envy that poor son of a bitch," he clearly referred to Lambda, knowing something of the unfortunate contender. As he was about to inject the liquor in to his veins he paused for a moment as an epiphany of suspicion crossed his mind "I wonder if… No, no chance that he did," he dismissed it as he injected himself and then turned his attention to the screen "Come on Bernstein, we put a lot of effort in to this, and you owe us a game."

…

Somewhere in a place called Daedalus workshop a young man, ages possibly nineteen nursed some bruises as he tinkered with some gizmo on a work bench. When the screens of some of the workshop and office monitors buzzed to life with the Tartarus broadcast, he dropped what he was doing and sat in his chair with a called beer and a few heated tin hotdogs as his evening was to be spent watching what he considered a travesty, yet felt he owed it to the Alpha in the arena.

He sipped his beer and said "That must have been you I saw outside," he remembered a few hours back the mysterious Alpha Series he saw wandering away from the city while he battled a Bouncer "I don't think I would have stopped you if I could, but I'll say this…" what he said next was never a wise thing to say in Rapture "God be with you Subject Lambda; Neumann."

…

Back in Tartarus Bernstein still went on with his introduction "…and it is here only in the Coliseum that such justice can be found…"

At this point Lambda was so frustrated at having to listen to the man's non-stop drivel that he welcomed brawling with Gladiators "Will you get on with it you bald headed twat!"

Eventually Bernstein reached the end of his boast "And so with that a due, let the games begin."

"Finally…" Lambda breathed with relief, though as Bernstein gave the command to release Gladiators he then realised something about his situation as large steel doors that allowed access in to the arena slowly slid opened "Wait, why the hell am I relieved. I'm about to die!"

The doors opened and already the sound of heavy footsteps stomped their way towards the arena. Lambda stood poised as he could make out the shadowy outline of the Gladiator group still with the arena exit that marched towards him, each one with an eerie red glow from the portholes of their helmets. As he readied himself he looked at Bernstein and made a vow "There is something not right about all this, I feel I haven't been given the full story. And until I do I'm not going to die just yet."

**Okay this is a bit late, mainly because I was so stumped on Bernstein's dialogue, but I only have two more chapters to write and that will be it. A lot of guest appearances of characters from my other Bioshock work, probably the one you didn't know was the man in black. **

**Nothing special about him yet, he's just a character I came up with but don't really know what to do with him just the characters in 'The Orphans'. But still I wanted to feature him as a viewer like the other characters I'd written, showing that all the Bioshock fiction I write takes place in the same reality.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry how late this chapter is, and it's still not complete. I had so much trouble writing it that I skipped over to the final one and wrote that while I knew what I wanted to write. With it already written, I only need to finish the ret of this one and it will finally be complete.**

**Clash of Titans**

The Gladiators marched in to the arena and encircled Lambda, a total of six surrounded him and from his own observation he realised weren't anything like the hoard he had faced earlier since arriving. They all differed slightly in size and body tone, some roughly Lambda's size while half of them were taller than he. Their arms varied in size and length as did their waist line, giving some an individual hulky or obese form while the rest matched that of Lambda's.

They all wore a light brown diving suit with dark brown steel tipped boots and gloves. Yet the one thing that distinguished them all from every other Big Daddy; rejects included was that they wore not diving helmets but welding masks fashioned and forged in to helmets. So rather than portholes they all glared at lambda through glass visors that glowed green, not red.

Each he observed had armour plating fitted over their chests and shoulders but not to the extent of their arms and legs. Lambda realised also that they had no such gear as the shield gadget fitted to his left arm or the mechanical limb attached to his back. Another advantage was none as he could tell carried any form of fire arm. Still, armed they were, each with some fierce looking melee weapon.

Regardless of Bernstein's introductions to their names, Lambda paid no attention as he ascertained further the danger they each posed while issuing each his own preferred name.

One carried a large steel forged hammer with large spikes protruding from one side of its head; which earned it the name 'The Hammer'. Another with overly large hands had steel mitts placed over its knuckles with steel spikes also protruding from them; the 'Boxer'. Another was armed with a drill, but rather it be held in its right hand was instead mounted on to the end of a pole. The Gladiator that wielded it apparently fed it static electricity sent through its arms from a battery attached to its side that enabled it to be revved; this he simply named the 'The Drill'.

Another carried a long chain with a heavy steel weight on one end while attached to the other end was a large hand held sickle; 'Chain n Sickle'. The fifth Gladiator also wore gauntlets, but with long curved crescent blades on the end of short steel poles protruding from the gauntlets; 'Crescent Blade'. He really felt he could perhaps put more effort in to his choice of names for these guys.

The last and tallest of the six carried in its right hand a large steel spear and held in its left a Roman style garrison shield with a glass view-hole allowing it to keep eye contact with its opponent while shielding itself. And it was with that that Lambda named it 'The Centurion'.

All six stood their ground waiting for Bernstein who sat in the VIP box to give the word to attack. Instead he continued on with his pompous introductions while Lambda looked further to his situation.

If they all came at him at once they would overwhelm him in less than a minute. So sizing up each one, he deduced which would prove to be the most difficult and most lethal of the lot. And which he should dispose of first and quickly to even his chances of survival the minute the bell rang. And it was then that he realised that until Bernstein gave the word, they would remain passive and not act.

Without waiting for him to finish with the formalities and blow the whistle for kick-off. Lambda decided to kick start the game himself without Bernstein's consent while the rest of the gladiators stood with their guard down.

With a surge of electricity pulsating through left his hand he blasted a jolt of Magnelock at Chain and Sickle. The unsuspecting gladiator suddenly found itself entangled by the steel chain that became magnetised to both its helmet and armour plating.

Taking in to account that the inhibiter drugs would only allow another use or perhaps two of his other Plasmids before they completely rendered them inactive. Lambda quickly and strategically chose his next two targets. He struck out first at the Centurion with Vine-n-Wrap before it even thought to raise its shield for defence. Next he then threw at the Drill a glob of Glob.

With three of the six gladiators now temporarily incapacitated, and the remainder to deal with, Lambda quickly moved against the nearest one; the Boxer. The melee sledge hammer he had been given he used to knock down its raised knuckles and leave its head vulnerable for a drill attack that Lambda drove straight through its glass visor, making the first kill in the arena.

Up in the VIP box, Bernstein who had been completely taken by Lambda's brash and hasty actions before he had finished with his introductions and allowed to properly set the game in motion, was not only confused but furious at this blatant disregard for the procedures and rules of the arena while everything was being televised live.

"What is he doing," he nagged exasticly "This is not how I planned for this execution to begin!"

"I don't think he gives a fuck," one of the film crew in the VIP box replied to him.

Not caring much for his remark Bernstein looked down in to the arena where the Boxer had now fallen, while the rest that had not been immobilised withdrew from Lambda. He took on both and forced them back, swinging his melee hammer at the Hammer, while also intimidating Crescent Blade with his drill

The two drew further away from Lambda; defending but never aggressively hitting, back as was expected of them, neither did the glare from their helmets glow red.

Bernstein himself couldn't make sense of their behaviour "What is wrong with them, why aren't they fighting back?"

For the only two crowd members sitting in the audiences seats, the reason was all too obvious "He's forgotten that until the bell has rung, their conditioning will keep them in a none aggressive state," Travis pointed out to Malcolm "Even if attacked, defence is all they can do,"

They continued to watch, as did the viewers who having been stirred up on Bernstein's promise of a bloody grudge match execution, found what they were watching confusing and misleading, as well as downright tedious and above all, lame as shit.

Raptures first televised broadcast in many months was doomed to be a rating failure and an opening disaster for Tartarus itself.

But eventually Bernstein figured it out and rang the bell. The green glow from the gladiators Lambda was close to vanquishing then turned red and with it their passive moods gone straight to aggression. They fought back, attacking Lambda on both sides, but he kept up his vigil and defence.

A lucky blow managed to knock the Hammer down on to the arena floor, and Lambda took the opportunity to quickly dispose of the Crescent Blade who stood alone. Using his Melee hammer to smash at his opponent's defence he made an opening to strike a fatal blow with his drill. But as he raised his arm to drive it straight through its head, a steel chain wrapped itself around his right arm and yanked it back; restraining him from moving it.

The Magnalock Plasmid had worn off on Chain and Sickle and he had struck while Lambda had been preoccupied; its chain that coiled all around Lambda's arm prevented him from moving it and left his right side exposed

Crescent Blade saw this and attacked, slashing away at Lambda's chest, the armour plating protected him from harm but every slash that followed sent sparks flying as the blades quickly sliced through to his chest. He brought a stop to it by raising the artificial limb attached to his back and fired off a volley from the Gatling gun to drive it back.

But as one threat was dealt with, another presented itself. The Hammer was back on its feet and swung for Lambda' chest, impaling the hammer's spikes in to his chest plate. Lambda felt them tear through the plating and in to his gut, fortunately the diving suit's steel fibres beneath halted them plunging any further but the pain was something he could not ignore.

He fired a few rounds to ward it off, but this allowed Chain and Sickled another open strike. It tore at Lambda's chest and ripped from it his chest plate. Another slash and it would tear through his suit and in to his gut.

The Hammer then swung again and knocked Lambda's own hammer out of his hand. With his left side now exposed and another bludgeoning attack imminent, he activated the shield device he had been equipped with. It fully opened up like woman's hand fan and protected him from the next blow.

Lambda then staggered back to avoid any further blunts but Chain and Sickle kept with his pace. If things weren't already bad for him, Crescent Blade was back in the game and veering for a strike.

Another volley of bullets would probably again discourage it but Lambda decided enough was enough. Swinging his right arm in circular motions he managed to entangle the chain around his drill head and revved it hard. The chain shattered in the drill's rivets, freeing his arm. With little or no time left he impaled the oncoming Crescent Blade; killing it.

With two opponents left to deal with he quickly turned on the Hammer, striking at its legs with his drill and inflicting injuries that brought it down once more "Time for a beat down," he noted. Grabbing its spiked melee hammer that it had dropped, he savagely pounded both its gut and helmet so brutally that he shattered every bone and organ. He spared one hammer blow to knock aside Chain n Sickle who attempted to strike from behind before finally finishing off the Hammer with a skull crushing pound to its head.

With three gladiators now eliminated and two still temporarily incapacitated, he turned on Chain n Sickle. With a combo of both hammer and drill strikes, Lambda inflicted further harm on his opponent and succeeded in knocking the sickle out of its hand.

Rather than finish it off with a further duel of combo attacks, he quickly grabbed a hold of it and swung the gladiator right in to the path of the 'Drill' Gladiator, who now in the game had accidently impaled Chain n Sickle from behind in an attempt to skewer Lambda with its drill mounted lance.

Lambda then watched as the Drill lifted the impaled gladiator in to the air and swung its lifeless hulk aside. Never showing any response to its fellow Titan it had killed, but then again why would it.

With four down and one still yet to participate; the Centurion. Lambda was just two challenges away from victory and survival, and he intended for the final challenge to be a one on one. The Drill revved its drill and thrust at Lambda's left arm, grazing the armour plate and ripping it clean off. Bit by bit Lambda was being torn apart, and so far it was only his outer shell, but pretty soon the remaining gladiators would be cracking the nuts inside.

He struck back with the spiked hammer, but the Drill was quick and countered by deflecting the blow breaking off the hammer's spiked hammer head. It fell to the floor, leaving nothing but a broken wooden handle in Lambda's hand. Rather than frown on the matter, Lambda used the advantage he had to strike with his drill. But again the Drill was quick in response with sparks suddenly flying from both drill heads clashing.

It thrust once more again at him; he opened his shield and the Drill's drill board its way through, shattering it apart. Lambda's arm sustained no damage and he backed away, narrowly avoiding being pierced by another forward thrust that managed to shred some steel fibres from his exposed chest. He moved further away, keeping one eye on it and the other on the Centurion; which was alarmingly making progress in freeing itself from the plant like vines entangling it.

Sparks continued to fly from the violent contact of both opponents drills clashing with one another in a tense duel. An onslaught of bullets from Lambda stalled the Drill long enough for him to untangle the chain still wrapped around his right arm. Holding the broken end in his left hand with its steel weight hanging loose on the other, he then swung it in the air as a med evil ball and chain and scored a hit on its helmet; rattling whatever brain it had inside. He swung again and again, striking its porthole and causing it to crack.

What followed after that was Lambda's drill that boar its way through its cracked porthole. The Drill collapsed on to the ground, just as the Centurion; the last opponent in the arena finally freed itself. Wrapping the chain around his left arm Lambda then picked up the Drill's lance. He tried to rev it by omitting an electrical surge from his left hand, but the inhibiter drug only allowed a few tweaks. Still, operational or not it made a good weapon that would probably hold up to the Centurion's spear; and speaking of which.

The last gladiator for Lambda to face marched towards him, moving in slow but fierce strides. The Centurion didn't pussyfoot around for much longer as it picked up the pace and advanced on Lambda with its spear raised to attack. Without a second to spare Lambda raised the drill mounted lance and threw it like a javelin straight for the Centurion. As he expected it deflected it with its shield, and just as it reached him, suddenly toppled forward as Lambda swung his chain around its legs.

It fell upon him but neither collapsed as Lambda bore the burden of its weight and stood standing with it leaning heavily upon him. For a few seconds they were still till finally the Centurion rose and was pushed away. It fell lifeless upon the ground, having impaled itself upon Lambda's drill when it had stumbled upon it.

The last Titan had fallen and Lambda stood the victor of the arena, much of his armour had been ripped from his body and both his gut and left arm ached with pain from the blows and slashes he had received. But for worse or wear he stood the champion, yet doubted that the ordeal was over as he turned to the VIP box and looked up at Bernstein.

Bernstein stood silent with his arms folded behind his back as he looked back at Lambda; he had a slight frown on his face that he turned upside down with an eerie grin. While things had not gone the way he had planned, they were far from over as he had more still to throw at Lambda.

The machine that monitored Lambda's thought patterns beeped from his further brain activity, but Bernstein needed not look to interpret what he was trying to get across to him.

"I beat your stupid game Bernstein," Lambda stated with his thoughts "So does this end here, are you going to let me go, or are you just going drag it further?"

"What now?" the director of the film crew asked "He's pretty much won the fight."

"Oh his game is far from over," Said Bernstein confidently.

"But he's beaten all the Gladiators in the ring. Aside from tall and gruesome here…" the director referred to Cerberus, still present in the V.I.P. box "You got nothing else to throw at him."

"Oh contraire," Bernstein gloated with malice "Though those Gladiators could have done the job, had I not underestimated Neumann's quick thinking and cunning. They were merely for show, compared to the big guns I've been keeping in reserve for this likelihood."

"Huh…?"

With a snicker, Bernstein played his last card as he addressed the viewers "Ah was that not a stupendous event. Despite though his blatant disregard; congratulations are in order to Lambda for his triumph. But this execution is not over.

The Titans have fallen; yes. But just as their role of ruling mortal man fell to that of the Olympians, so shall it be here," flicking a nearby switch, Bernstein spoke in to his mike "Attention, come forth Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon!"

One of the arena doors; the largest in the ring opened and footsteps, heavier than any that Lambda had heard since his arrival drew his attention. A massive silhouette that dwarfed the Titans he had defeated stomped its way towards the arena "Oh, right… Shit!" Lambda thought as his situation just got worse.


End file.
